By Imkong Walling
The day was December 17, 2024. It was a beautiful evening in Dimapur. The Christmas vibe had taken siege of the city. There was a sense of warmth despite a nippy wintry tinge in the air.
Boney M, Jim Reeves and other Christmas staple were everywhere, decorative lights blinking in every nook and corner heralding the advent of Christianity’s biggest celebration.
There was an event that evening marking the unveiling of a previously decrepit Town Hall repurposed and sporting a new look, claimed to be worth a whopping Rs 19.9 crore.
Built and managed by the Development Authority of Nagaland, in its old avatar, the 4 decades old Town Hall had no air conditioning, no power backup, had appalling restrooms, the fans hardly worked, there was spit stains everywhere, but could seat around 500 or more.
With the renovation, it got a new façade alongwith spanking new interiors complete with carpeted flooring, reclining chairs, acoustic panels, sound system, digital projector, central air conditioning et cetera. The seating capacity was however reduced to 400.
The Chief Minister was in town to inaugurate the finished work, the contract for which went to his son’s firm, in the midst of great fanfare and publicity. A host of legislators and the who’s who of the state had turned up in strength as well.
According to him, the work quality was outstanding, meeting national and international standards. “I trust the citizens of Dimapur will appreciate this upgraded facility and use it responsibly,” he gushed.
It was a fairly cheerful event with the people present that evening apparently blown away by the refreshing new look and amenities.
The positive vibe was somewhat dampened by allegation of an over-the-top price tag the repurposed Town hall came with. The Rising People’s Party (RPP) had accused the government of sanctioning money incommensurate to the work; money which the political party held could have built an entirely new world-class facility.
The allegation did not create much of a public flutter however. Life went on.
It was some three months later when it got renewed attention. This time, it was the Congress party flagging allegedly exaggerated spending on the renovation. The allegation was based on Information obtained via the Right to Information Act, and it demanded forensic audit of the financial transactions.
In a subsequent letter to the Nagaland Chief Secretary, dated April 4, it demanded “immediate intervention to uphold public trust and accountability,” citing alleged, “Serious irregularities, financial ambiguities, and lack of transparency in the project's execution.”
The institution of a forensic audit and investigation committee within 15 days, and publishing the preliminary findings within 45 days were the party’s demand.
Only a thorough and unbiased investigation can put to rest the doubts raised. It is a place where a decades old political quagmire has become a clichéd excuse to form “oppositionless” governments, whereas the actual motive is the perks that come with being in the ruling regime.
What the Congress, and the RPP initially, has done is fill a clear lack of curiosity in the general populace in matters of government accountability and transparency.
India’s grand old party may have projected itself as championing the cause of the people but it is no saint. Like any political party opposed to the ruling regime, it was compelled to throw dirt at the government. Wonder what the party would have done, if it was in power.
The writer is a Principal Correspondent at The Morung Express. Comments can be sent to imkongwalls@gmail.com
