Prominent RTI activist and lawyer Napoleon Mawphniang has raised serious concerns over the lack of transparency in Meghalaya’s flagship Lakadong Turmeric Project. In a formal complaint to top authorities, Mawphniang accused the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA) of obstructing access to crucial documents under the RTI Act. “The responses I received were either non-existent or evasive. There were excessive delays and vague denials citing ‘administrative burden,’” Mawphniang said, calling the situation a “systematic pattern of opacity.”
The Lakadong Turmeric Project, aimed at promoting high-curcumin turmeric cultivation, has received significant attention for its potential to boost farmers’ income. However, Mawphniang alleges that the MBDA has failed to provide verifiable data to back performance claims. He also highlighted the project’s reported neglect of ecological and climate-resilient farming practices, calling the omission “intergenerational violence.”
Calling for urgent action, Mawphniang demanded a full independent audit, public access to all related documents, a participatory social audit with local farmers, and the long-delayed appointment of the Meghalaya Lokayukta.
