DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 19 (MExN): Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader I. Imkong has come out with fresh charges disclosing that nearly Rs 100 crores of worth of land has been purchased at an exorbitant rate for the Capital Development Project in Kohima. To cite an example, the CLP leader alleged that an amount of Rs 60 lakhs was paid to acquire a steep area not fit for human habitation. “I am prepared to come out with more details if he wants to know about the land purchase scams and he should not try to educate me about the works program because most of the works programmes are only in papers which were already laid on the floor of the House”, Imkong stated. The Opposition Leader demanded to know from Dr Shurhozelie how much money was spent in purchase of land for Capital Development Project (CDP).
Imkong was responding to the clarification issued by Urban Development Minister Dr Shurhozelie on expenditures allotted for Mokokchung. The CLP leader during a recent visit to Mokokchung district had alleged discriminatory allocation of developmental funds to Mokokchung district which is represented by 10 MLAs comparing to the allocation of funds to the Northern Angami I and II. “I would also like to invite him to come to Mokokchung and satisfy himself with works being undertaken. I am happy at least on paper that Dr Shurhozelie has been good enough with the fund allocation for Mokokchung but the projects he had mentioned are yet to see the light of the day”, Imkong alleged.
The CLP leader in a press note acknowledged that Dr Shurhozelie had taken courage to come out with various figures and that he was grateful to him. “He said Rs 21 crore has been spent for car parking cum shopping complex, Rs 2 crore for construction of retaining walls at Alempang Ward, Rs 8 crore for protection and infrastructure development at Mokokchung and Rs 86 lakh for construction of sanitation and waste boxes at Mokokchung. He has also mentioned that Rs 134 lakh for slum up-gradation for the Mokokchung town”.
Imkong alleged that while giving these figures—which are mostly on papers except for the car-parking-shopping complex which is also yet to take off construction—Dr Shurhozelie had tried to bring communal color which is unfortunate. “As a senior minister he is responsible to explain to the satisfaction of my statement but he went as being ‘ism’ color saying that development of Kohima is not for a particular tribe but for all”. The CLP leader clarified that he was not against capital development but against the misuse of fund in the name of capital development.
On Dr Shurhozelie’s allegation that it was “Imkong’s propaganda,” the CLP leader stated that he did not believe in propaganda. “I only believe in truth factual position and would like to remind him that I would be the last man to think, to talk and do things on “ism.”
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