Nagaland ‘a fit case’ to impose President’s Rule: NPCC President

The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) stated on Sunday that “it is a fit case to impose President's Rule and fix the mismanagement” after highlighting a number of issues with Nagaland's law and order situation and financial status.

K. Therie, NPCC President, stated, “Law and order have completely collapsed in the state." People have lost safety and security in life and property. The writs of insurgents are feared more than the state Govt”. 

Therie stated that people can expect safety for their lives and their property under the President's Rule. People can expect the Constitution of India to be enforced. People can also expect to sustain the developed assets and serve at least the bare minimum welfare schemes.

“There is no scheme for terminally sick people. Delhi, Kolkata, Vellore, and even Coimbatore’s Hospitals are loaded with Nagaland patients. The government has no policy to help except the gov't employees. Civilians are ignored as if they do not belong to Nagaland”.

The NPCC President stated that the state government’s woes were eased during the UPA when Dr. Manmohan Singh, the then Prime Minister, gave 726 crores of non-plan and 336 crores of the plan as special assistance to make good the 6th ROP deficit. 

“This was not paid to employees but their dues were pushed to GPF and huge funds were siphoned off which began the root of corruption in elections”.

He cited a YouthNet report that estimated that the 2008 election cost approximately Rs 600 crore. “In 2013, it was estimated at over 900 crores and in 2018 it was estimated at 1,060 crores. 

The NPCC President also accused that the Finance Minister is only looking at his commission from every department project and has no idea to improve the state’s Finances and become self-reliant like other States.

The NPCC President also asserted that the backdoor appointments have doubled the number of employees from 76,000 to 1,45,000. This is consuming the bulk of resources as it has gone much above the estimate of the Finance Commission. Backdoor appointments have deprived all the reservation policies.

“The remaining development funds are shared by the ruling politicians and insurgent groups. Contractors complain that they were given hardly 30% for development. 70% was deducted at the source and shared between Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, Advisers, Officers, and several insurgent groups. Government Departments are paying 24% of their one month’s salary to insurgents,” the release stated.

Regarding financial mismanagement, Therie asserted that the RD Department forces VDBs and VCCs to sign blank checks. “From MGNREGA’s 2020-21 funds, out of Rs. 483 crores receipts, about 60 crores were paid as wages at an average of 7 days instead of 100 days wages. It is alleged that 70% of material component money of MGNREGA are deducted”.

Therie noted that there are many examples of money being drawn without work, citing the CAG report. “Planning and Tribal Affairs Department projects are reported in the CAG report as unverifiable projects. Under the Tribal Affairs fund, in the name of Women Working Hostel, construction money was drawn. This was found unverifiable as it was not constructed”.

Additionally, he claimed that the majority of CSS money was used for private construction and that one contractor receives a hefty cut of the Finance Commission's allocation for road maintenance. “Therefore, there are no roads in Nagaland. The most erratic power supply in the Nation would be in Nagaland. Every day there are more than a dozen breakdowns in the power supply. There is no water supply in the capital and even in Dimapur, the commercial Town”.

Therie claims that the State Government has a debt of more than 16,000 crores and every month, there is a shortfall for payment of salaries with some Departments not receiving salaries for several months. “Some Departments do not get salary for several months. Nagaland State's budget was 23,000 crores. State’s own revenue has remained about 650 crores whereas smaller states are able to generate double of Nagaland State”.

The NPCC also expressed worry about the fact that "public funding is nil" in the state.  Banks and Financial Institutions do not follow to the same laws in Nagaland as they do throughout the country, and neither do the MSME 20 lakh crore investment or any other documents that have been notified by the Central Government.

“Rules of SBI and respective Financial Institutions are different and they do not respect the notifications of GOI that we read in the public domain. There is no such thing as a CGS loan (Credit Guarantee Scheme), there is no such thing as an Unsecured Loan (without security), and there is no such loan than can revive sick industries”, he added that nothing the finance minister and prime minister say applies to Nagaland.

“PMRY loan selection is made politically as such, beneficiaries think it is a political gift. The selection of beneficiaries is not based on skill, commitment, or feasibility report rather carbon copy projects are selected. As they do not pay back their loans, the Banks blame the general public”, the release added.

Therie stated that among the major projects in the state, 200 crores for Mon Medical college was released; Kohima Medical College is forgotten, High Court building construction case is with CBI, and the Multi-Disciplinary Sports Complex at Dimapur which has been under construction since 2005 “is standing like the Colosseum of Rome”.

“Niti Aayog has graded Nagaland State as the Worst Performing state.  The Hon’ble Governor declared law and order has completely failed due to uncontrolled multi-parallel insurgent govts. who extort while waiting for the implementation of a political solution that the Hon’ble PM has announced to the nation to have been resolved in 2015”, to strengthen his argument, Therie added.