
Dimapur, April 6 (MExN): The Naga People’s Front (NPF) has come under attack of the Congress for yet again for diverting from core issues and making statements that focused on anything but figures and data the opposition keeps presenting. The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) issued a rejoinder today responding with more figures to the NPF’s earlier response on issues relating to the state’s budget and the late tabling of the crucial Comptroller & Auditor General Report (CAG).
“The NPF is in the habit of diverting from the core issues by preaching procedural sermon as if they know everything and the opposition does not know anything. The Media Bureau of NPF had reacted with mere assembly proceedings and cunningly avoided facts and figures. This only goes to prove as to who is rhetoric,” the Congress reminded.
The NPCC questioned that the NPF went so far as to claim the budget tabled in the assembly was a “full budget” when even the mandatory ‘sectoral’ allocation was not tabled; no plan money was released except the Local Area Development Fund (LADF) and all government funds are kept in Civil Deposit (CD) account of the government, the NPCC stated. NPCC vice president Nillo Rengma appended the rejoinder.
The Congress also called a “naked lie” the NPF’s claim that the “full budget” was to ensure that development works continued smoothly.” The reason is, the NPCC said, without approving the works program of various departments no development works can start. “That, the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the assembly had approved the presentation of the full budget on the advice of the Planning Commission of India (PCI) was a lame excuse to cover its failure to furnish Utilization certificate,” the Congress said.
Tactical strategy: late CAG tabling
The chief minister who also holds the finance portfolio failed to table the CAG report for the year ended March 2009-10 in the assembly, the NPCC stated further. The report was to be tabled on the day of the budget, as is the convention. For this reason, the NPCC reminded, the members of the NLA did not get the opportunity to discuss the report.
The Congress said – “The attempt was clearly to cover up its many corrupt charges exposed by the CAG. The DAN Government’s contention that High Powered Committees (HPC) are constituted to look into the points (irregularities) raised by CAG was another attempt to hush up the matter and give clean chits to the culprits because as per norm, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is the only authentic body to look into the matters of irregularities pointed out by the CAG report”.
Retirement
Over the issue of payments to retired employees, the Congress asked how the NPF could claim that there was no delay when the retired employees have been waiting for the past 18 months since November 1, 2009. “The DAN government couldn’t wash off its hands on the delay of the documentations because proper maintenance of records for retired employees, especially the non-self drawing employees is largely the job of the departments. The delay is obviously intentional to ease the Govt. from huge financial burden,” the Congress reminded.
The NPF ‘should not be satisfied that already 700 pension cases when the majority of the retired employees are languishing in poverty,’ the NPCC said.
The opposition also called the “NPF’s marriage” to the UPA government in Delhi as “dowry.” The NPF’s support was voluntary because the UPA had not sought their support, the Congress reminded. “After the 2009 Parliamentary election result was declared on 16th May 2009 and the UPA was voted back to power, the NPF-led DAN had a closed door meeting on the same day and on the next day i.e. the 17th May 2009, the Chief Minister air-dashed to Delhi to voluntarily extend its MP’s support to UPA; that too after forcing two BJP legislators to join NPF to show its end of marriage with the NDA.”
The chief minister and the NPF president’s claim that extending support to UPA was “important for judicious funding” is also ridiculed by the NPCC. The Indian National Congress or for that matter the Nagaland Pradesh Congress is a national political party that has nothing in common with a regional party like NPF, the rejoinder said.
“Therefore, the NPF’s claim of DAN having a cordial relationship with the Centre and the media cell being jealous of it was stupid absurdity.”
“The NPF is in the habit of diverting from the core issues by preaching procedural sermon as if they know everything and the opposition does not know anything. The Media Bureau of NPF had reacted with mere assembly proceedings and cunningly avoided facts and figures. This only goes to prove as to who is rhetoric,” the Congress reminded.
The NPCC questioned that the NPF went so far as to claim the budget tabled in the assembly was a “full budget” when even the mandatory ‘sectoral’ allocation was not tabled; no plan money was released except the Local Area Development Fund (LADF) and all government funds are kept in Civil Deposit (CD) account of the government, the NPCC stated. NPCC vice president Nillo Rengma appended the rejoinder.
The Congress also called a “naked lie” the NPF’s claim that the “full budget” was to ensure that development works continued smoothly.” The reason is, the NPCC said, without approving the works program of various departments no development works can start. “That, the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the assembly had approved the presentation of the full budget on the advice of the Planning Commission of India (PCI) was a lame excuse to cover its failure to furnish Utilization certificate,” the Congress said.
Tactical strategy: late CAG tabling
The chief minister who also holds the finance portfolio failed to table the CAG report for the year ended March 2009-10 in the assembly, the NPCC stated further. The report was to be tabled on the day of the budget, as is the convention. For this reason, the NPCC reminded, the members of the NLA did not get the opportunity to discuss the report.
The Congress said – “The attempt was clearly to cover up its many corrupt charges exposed by the CAG. The DAN Government’s contention that High Powered Committees (HPC) are constituted to look into the points (irregularities) raised by CAG was another attempt to hush up the matter and give clean chits to the culprits because as per norm, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is the only authentic body to look into the matters of irregularities pointed out by the CAG report”.
Retirement
Over the issue of payments to retired employees, the Congress asked how the NPF could claim that there was no delay when the retired employees have been waiting for the past 18 months since November 1, 2009. “The DAN government couldn’t wash off its hands on the delay of the documentations because proper maintenance of records for retired employees, especially the non-self drawing employees is largely the job of the departments. The delay is obviously intentional to ease the Govt. from huge financial burden,” the Congress reminded.
The NPF ‘should not be satisfied that already 700 pension cases when the majority of the retired employees are languishing in poverty,’ the NPCC said.
The opposition also called the “NPF’s marriage” to the UPA government in Delhi as “dowry.” The NPF’s support was voluntary because the UPA had not sought their support, the Congress reminded. “After the 2009 Parliamentary election result was declared on 16th May 2009 and the UPA was voted back to power, the NPF-led DAN had a closed door meeting on the same day and on the next day i.e. the 17th May 2009, the Chief Minister air-dashed to Delhi to voluntarily extend its MP’s support to UPA; that too after forcing two BJP legislators to join NPF to show its end of marriage with the NDA.”
The chief minister and the NPF president’s claim that extending support to UPA was “important for judicious funding” is also ridiculed by the NPCC. The Indian National Congress or for that matter the Nagaland Pradesh Congress is a national political party that has nothing in common with a regional party like NPF, the rejoinder said.
“Therefore, the NPF’s claim of DAN having a cordial relationship with the Centre and the media cell being jealous of it was stupid absurdity.”