Dimapur, June 23 (MExN): The Office of the District Congress Committee, Mon has leveled charges that Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio’s kith and kin have been getting allotment of work for various projects including exorbitant hike in contract work. In a disclosure Saturday, the Nagaland Congress said that the construction of the Raj Bhavan and the Sovima Cricket Stadium, both given in contract to ‘Chabou & Co’, was hiked by an unheard-of 564% and 775%, respectively.
For instance, the original contract allotted to the said kin of Rio, “Chabou & coy”, was Rs. 1, 61, 27, 800 (One crore sixty-one lakh and twenty-seven thousand and an eight-hundred). Shockingly, the District Congress Committee of Mon stated today, the amount was hiked to a total amount of Rs. 9, 11, 94, 000 (Nine crore, eleven lakh and ninety-four thousand) which was released. The hike percentage is 564%.
Likewise, the Congress alleged, the Cricket ground in Sovima was originally estimated at Rs. 8, 29, 46, 020 (eight crore twenty-nine lakh and forty-six thousand and a twenty). The contractors hiked the amount to a numbing Rs. 72, 59, 00,000 (Seventy-two crore and fifty-nine lakh), the Mon Congress unit said in a statement received here today. Out of it, Rs. 7, 63, 00, 000 (seven crore and sixty-three lakh) was paid while Rs. 66, 35, 00, 000 (sixty-six crore and thirty-five lakh) is due, the charges said.
“We cannot but wonder at the allotment of work for various project to the chief minister’s own kith and kin with exorbitant hike in such contract work duration from the original work order…” the DCC of Mon stated in the press release appended by its President and issued through General Secretary for Publicity B Sangti.
The Congress unit stated:“…For instance, the original work order for construction of Raj Bhavan was Rs. 1,61, 27, 800 and the work was allotted to Chabou & Coy. And the hike was 564%, releasing a total payment of Rs. 9, 11, 94, 000.”
“Cricket ground at Sovima original work order (was at) Rs. 8, 29, 46, 020; (the) revised estimate Rs. 72, 59, 00, 000 with payment of Rs. 7, 63, 00, 000 and due of Rs. 66, 35, 00, 000 – and enhancement of 775%, These are just few instances.“
Ever since the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government came to power, the Central government has been pumping in massive funds starting from the 365 crore package in 2003, the unit said. “After that, there has been continuous flow of huge central fund including Rs 712 crore for implementation of 6th RoP”, stated the press note.
With so much funds provided to the State by the Centre, there are great expectations that the face of the people and their economy would change, the Congress said. “Instead only a handful of people have been benefitted from it and the lot of the lower section of society particularly the backward district continues to long wish in their external struggle for a better life.”
The Congress unit echoed popular sentiments that while central funds are growing, so does the State’s debt. “Our deficit soars higher and our non-plan expenditure raises abnormally eating up even the plan money, leaving a paltry sum of plan allocation for development work.”
