SHILLONG: In a controversial move raising serious transparency concerns, the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Mairang Division in Eastern West Khasi Hills District has allegedly delivered an entirely redacted 1,600-page Right to Information (RTI) response, using correction fluid to cover crucial public details.
Addressing media personnel at the Shillong Press Club, RTI activist Arius Basaïawmoit—a resident of Bangla Sohphie—revealed that his application filed on January 5, 2026, regarding the implementation of the flagship Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scheme and its third-party inspection reports, yielded completely obscured documents when finally handed over by the department on October 1, 2026.
The activist pointed out that every essential parameter meant for public scrutiny was systematically rendered unreadable with white ink across the extensive response.
Essential financial details, project budget allocations, the names of contracted firms and individual contractors, and the specific names of targeted beneficiary villages were entirely erased.
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Basaïawmoit emphasized that citizens rely on the RTI framework to ensure public funds are utilized effectively and accountability is upheld; however, the division’s response completely defeated this purpose by returning blanked-out sheets instead of factual records.
Issuing a firm ultimatum, Arius Basaïawmoit has granted the PHE Mairang Division a period of 20 days to provide a valid official explanation regarding the mass blanking of the 1,600-page RTI reply.
He warned that if the department fails to offer a transparent justification and provide unredacted public records within the stipulated deadline, he along with fellow activists will be compelled to initiate stringent legal and public actions against the authorities involved.
(4FrontMedia news)
