Investigation: Arunachal's flood-hit left high and dry

NO RELIEF: Nearly 5,500 quintals of relief was diverted to Tawang, Arunachal CM Dorjee Khandu's constituency.

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Tawang: Lying on the India-China border, Tawang is Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu's constituency.

In 2003, Khandu was Minister of Relief and Rehabilitation. Documents show that a huge proportion of flood relief – nearly 5,500 quintals - was diverted to Tawang, a district situated at the highest altitude and least affected by floods.

The contract permitted Khandu's family to lift rice from Government godowns for distribution to 40,000 residents of Tawang, 500 kilos each.

But this apparently did not happen.

Says a Tawang resident, “We got just one bag, madam. After that, let alone getting anything more, we haven’t even heard of it.”

Even in other districts of the state, Khandu's ministry allegedly generated fake lists of relief beneficiaries. For instance, census figures say Sumlam village in Changlang District has 72 people but the rice relief documents show 250 beneficiaries.

At Nakang village too - which has just 75 people - 250 beneficiaries are listed.

Says DIG Vigilance, Special Investigation Cell, R Yomcha, “No nobody questioned that. It was not proportionate to the population.”

When CNN-IBN Special Investigation Team confronted Khandu, he denied charges of malpractice.

“We are politically motivated people. This is a 2003 incident. Why was the enquiry not conducted at that time? It’s 2007 now. Why are you raising the issue now?” he said.

This investigation confirms more than 70 per cent of relief supplies of rice did not reach the flood-affected people of Arunachal Pradesh.

The real beneficiaries of this scam were politicians, who pocketed crores of rupees.