Meghalaya RTI activist alleges lack of transparency in Lakadong turmeric project, calls for investigation

Right to Information (RTI) activist and lawyer Napoleon Mawphniang has accused the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA) of obstructing access to public documents related to the Lakadong Turmeric Project.

Mawphniang alleges that his requests to inspect records under the RTI Act were denied, delayed, or dismissed without adequate explanation, prompting him to file a formal complaint to top government authorities.

“The RTI responses I received — or rather, the absence of substantive responses — paint a troubling picture,” Mawphniang stated. “Document inspection rights were denied. Delays extended far beyond statutory limits. Claims of ‘administrative burden’ were deployed to avoid accountability. Statistical achievements were trumpeted without providing the evidentiary infrastructure that would render these claims verifiable.”

In his complaint, Mawphniang outlines what he describes as “systematic patterns of opacity” and “institutional resistance” to public oversight. He criticises the MBDA for presenting performance metrics without allowing access to the original data behind them. “Numbers without evidence are not statistics but incantations — magical formulae designed to conjure the appearance of achievement without its substance,” he noted.

A key area of concern highlighted by Mawphniang is the project’s apparent neglect of ecological and climate-resilient farming measures. According to the RTI replies received, there is no record of soil conservation efforts, water retention systems, or strategies to address climate-related challenges — an omission he called “intergenerational violence.”

Mawphniang is calling for a multi-pronged response from the government, including a full, independent audit of the Lakadong Turmeric Project’s financial management, immediate access to all related documentation, the long-delayed appointment of the Meghalaya Lokayukta, and a participatory social audit involving local farmers and civil society representatives.

“These steps represent not punitive measures but restorative opportunities — chances to rebuild trust that has been eroded through patterns of opacity and evasion,” he said.

He also emphasised that all his claims are grounded in information provided by the MBDA’s Public Information Officer. “Every fact, every document, every assertion I have placed before the public and authorities originates from official responses. If there is error, it is not the error of invention but the error of transmission from the very source entrusted with the stewardship of public truth.”

The Lakadong Turmeric Project, aimed at boosting the cultivation and marketing of a high-curcumin variety of turmeric in Meghalaya, has received considerable public and political attention in recent years. However, Mawphniang’s allegations could spark further scrutiny into the transparency and effectiveness of the state’s agricultural development initiatives.

“The silence of bureaucracy is not the absence of sound, but the presence of power refusing to account for itself,” he concluded, expressing hope that the matter will prompt institutional reforms and renewed commitment to transparent governance.