Aizawl, Aug 2 : Corruption watchdog PRISM (People's Right to Information and Development Implementing Society of Mizoram) has spent around 17 lakh rupees in its fight against corruption during the last five years while preventing Rs 1700 crore public money from being siphoned off.
Claiming that the PRISM had prevented over Rs 1700 crore public money from being siphoned off, PRISM president Vanlalruata said, ''This means that we have saved around 10 thousand rupees of public money for every single rupee we have spent.'' The civic organisation today observed its fifth anniversary at Savidge Hall, Khatla here today.
On the occasion, the president inaugurated five new sub-headquarters for five district capitals. With this, PRISM has sub-headquarters in all the districts of Mizoram, except for Lawngtlai district, besides branches at 59 sub-divisional headquarters and large villages.
''We have helped 57 people from being illegally dropped in recruitment process while we have 39 cases of diverted money given back to the rightful shareholders. We have also helped 1,000 people in seeking information under the RTI Act,'' Vanlalruata said.
Following PRISM's anti-corruption crusade, 287 officials have been and will be charged with corruption cases in the state.
PRISM president also disclosed that during the last five years, he and other PRISM members faced a number of threats.
''There were times when we shivered with fear and when we could not sleep in peace. There were also times when we were offered cash.
Against all such odds, we have gone this far as we know what we are doing is for the good of the people and the state,'' he stated.
PRISM, which coordinates the Mizoram state election watch under the national election watch (NEW), is looking forward to the next state assembly elections to be held in 2013.
''We are planning to work out common roadmap which all parties could use for formulating development programmes. We are also planning to conduct strict scrutiny so as to stop candidates with false affidavit from contesting elections,'' Vanlalruata said.
PRISM filed eight PILs with Gauhati High Court and 31 FIRs with state Anti-Corruption Bureau against misappropriation of public money so far.
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