Morung Express News
Dimapur | December 12
In the backdrop of the police arresting three core ACAUT members, the anti-corruption body has decided to stage ‘thana Bharo’ agitation on December 13. The ACAUT at a media briefing on Monday evening asserted that ACAUT volunteers will turn up at police stations to court arrest in protest against the arrest of Joel Nillo Naga, Simon Kelio and Hukiye Yepthomi.
The decision was taken at a meeting convened with several organisations following the arrests on Monday morning. Unconditional release by December 13 of the three arrested and the arrest of the people running the alleged PDS rice siphoning racket were the immediate demands. The ACAUT named three persons, namely – Nirmal Jain, Tinku Sethi and one RZ Lotha as the people behind the two godowns exposed on December 9 and which were subsequently sealed by the police.
The state government failing to positively respond to the demands, the agitation will be intensified, the ACAUT asserted.
The ACAUT particularly lashed out at the state government’s perceived double standard policy as regards the treatment of the FIRs lodged by the ACAUT and the counter FIR lodged by the proprietor of M/S Lotha Trading Company, who was identified by the police as RZ Lotha.
ACAUT advisor, K. Khekiye Sema, who was part of the meeting, questioned the government’s intention. “The complainants have been arrested instead of the culprits. Why is it that the people who filed the FIR were arrested and the culprits are scot free? The district administration and the police must immediately take cognisance of this,” he said while terming the incongruity as a clear case of favouritism.
Two of the persons named by the ACAUT as behind the alleged siphoning scam – Nirmal Jain and Tinku Sethi - are reported to be “out of station.”
Stating that the government and the police have been aware of the pilferage in the PDS for decades, he said that no action has ever been taken.
The ACAUT further maintained that it did not shut down the godowns on December 9. The police locking it up is clear indication that the two godowns were harbouring illegal activity, one ACAUT member added.
On the state government’s explanation of repackaging PDS rice, the ACAUT maintained it is not a standard practice anywhere in India. Stating that the ACAUT has no intention of resorting to violence during the course of the agitation, Khekiye said that the issue demands an investigation free from unwanted interference. The ACAUT now will club the issue of fuel adulteration and rice siphoning as one as both are linked to the Food & Civil Supplies, he said.
ACAUT contradicts claim of F&CS dept
Meanwhile in a rejoinder to Food and Civil Supplies Department (F&CS), ACAUT Nagaland said the question of trespassing do not arise as ACAUT and CCN members entered the premises with due permission from the residents in the premises.
ACAUT also contradicted the clarification given by the department that the PDS rice were repacked in the synthetic bags to be sent to different districts. It claimed that ACAUT members along with the 13 village council members went for market inspection and found that the same bags of repacked rice from the food and civil supplies godowns were being sold at approximately 35 rupees per kilo in the open market.
Moreover, ACAUT questioned the legality of repackaging PDS rice without label, trademark, manufacturing date, name of the manufacturer and address, ISI mark and FSSAI license no, which is mandatory under the Food Safety and Standard Act of 2006.
