Kohima, August 2 (MExN): Kohima Law College conducted its awareness campaign on Citizen Rights & Duties at Kohima Ao Baptist Church (KABA) Bayavü Youth Fellowship on July 30.
Topics such as Lokayukta, Consumer Rights, Clean Election, National Food Security Act, Environment, RTI, Food Safety & Standard Act, and Human Rights were presented by final year students Chenosinlo Seb, Bokali Kasho, Akum Aier, Matholeno Kezo, Yanthungo, H. Pungmei Phom, K. Lilly Swu, and Nzamongi Odyuo. All the resource persons stressed the need to set up Lokayukta in Nagaland, according to a press release from Kezhokhoto Savi, Professor-in-charge, who led the team.
Savi, who is also the president of NVCO, during the programme questioned why the present government, particularly the legislators, is not willing to establish Lokayukta in Nagaland. As a democratic state, the demand or the voice of the people has to be honoured, he asserted. Had Lokayukta been set up by now, Savi said, several ministers/ parliamentary secretaries/ advisors/ MLAs and public servants who were involved in corruption would have been arrested.
Lokayukta, an Anti-Corruption Act, is to be set up in states to provide clean, transparent and accountable government and is mainly to fight against corruption, it was stated.
“Why the people of Nagaland demand Lokayukta in the state? The simple reason is to eradicate the present prevalence of corruption in the state such as nepotism, where politicians and public servants/ appointing authority offer jobs to relatives and family members without following the selection process leading to huge backdoor appointments in all the departments, favoritism, where huge involvement of public funds meant for infrastructural development such as contract works or supplies were awarded to own choice of people without following open tender norms... extortion, bribery, diversion and misappropriation of public funds, etc,” the Professor-in-charge added.
The consequences of corruption faced by the citizens of the State, Savi said, are bad roads, bridges breaking and falling apart, increase in gap between the haves and have nots, poor infrastructure of healthcare and education, poor electricity services, almost nil water supply or safe drinking water of government initiatives, government employees not getting monthly salary on time, several scams including PDS etc.
Lokayukta is also to address the suffering of the common people, to check the failure of the government and social system, to check the misuse of public fund, etc, it was added. “It is the duty of the general public to demand consistently until Lokayukta is set up with a challenge.”
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