Mokokchung, August 23 (MTNews): The Rising People’s Party has written to the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who is currently in Nagaland to attend the CSR and Investment Conclave 2022 hosted by the Government of Nagaland, appealing to fulfill the party’s demand for President’s Rule in Nagaland and to institute CBI/ED enquiries and investigations.
Citing a number of “irregularities,” RPP President, Joel Naga and Secretary, Akum Longkumer requested the Union Finance Minister to fulfill the RPP’s demand for President’s Rule after which the Government of India may “facilitate CBI investigation into the above irregularities; and also expedite all the pending CBI and ED enquiries in the state, including giving Prosecution Sanction to the CBI on the High Court construction scam.”
RPP stated that though her visit was an opportune moment for all stakeholders, “the general population is by and large embarrassed with your visit since Nagaland happens to be the most corrupted state in India with absolutely nothing to show in terms of growth, not to speak of NITI Aayog tagging Nagaland as the Worst Performing State in India in terms of poverty, health, affordable energy, sustainable cities, industries and infrastructure as per SDGI index 2021.”
“Respectfully, our state is also the Worst Performing State as per State Energy and Climate index (SECI) as per NITI Aayog 2022. Nagaland ranks 33rd out of 35 states & UTs,” RPP added.
RPP stated that the state government is unable to pay the outstanding salaries of 130,000 government employees, including Teachers, Police personnel, Administrative officials, and national mission employees. “The perpetual deficit state budget with the latest being minus 2212.74 Crore for the year 2022-23 is a major cause for concern,” it also said.
“According to your own report published on July 25 2022, the total outstanding liabilities (Debt) of Nagaland Government stands at Rs.15620.80 Crores as of March 2022,” RPP reminded Sitharaman.
According to the RPP, the latest CAG Report 2022 for the financial year 2019-2020 pointed out some serious offences of the state government.
Among these, it said that 12 departments were involved in siphoning off Rs 200.65 crore and Rs 6.6 crore in other departments. It also said that Rs 25.28 crore was siphoned off in the Power department and awaits departmental and criminal investigation, while Rs 82.79 crore embezzled by the Department of School Education awaits criminal investigation in two cases.
Other cases of misappropriation of funds, as per the CAG Report, included three misappropriation cases amounting to Rs 223.79 crore in the PWD (Roads and Bridges) department; Rs 20.23 crore in the Planning and Coordination department; Rs 14.20 crore misappropriated in the Tourism department; and another Rs 13.70 crore in the Health and Family Welfare department, the RPP pointed out.
Further, RPP said that Nagaland is presently the only state in India without a Medical college wherein the lone project implemented in the year 2014 is still incomplete after 9 long years. The amount sanctioned/released by the Government of India stands at Rs 171.10 crore, it said.
It also stated that the Nagaland High Court building remains incomplete at 35% work done even after 15 years and the exorbitant amount of Rs 52.63 crore stands withdrawn till date. Started at the same time, the High Courts of Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura have established their respective High Courts and have been functional since 2013, it informed.
Stating that these irregularities were “just the tip of the ice-berg,” the RPP opined that it was perhaps important for the Finance Minister to “ask hard questions” during her visit.
Saying that it is the express dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to see a corruption free India, the RPP requested the Finance Minister to fulfill the demand for President’s Rule.