Dr Asangba Tzüdir
There was a joke from the 90s though it didn’t attract headline attention. Where do you live? I live in Nagaland. Where do you live in Nagaland? Huh? Where do you live in Nagaland when the entire area of Nagaland is covered by projects under fisheries? Such kind of jokes has become the highlight of the day and it remains a joke because it has become normalised. And because of which, it is difficult to hit the conscience of the people to create a change process. We see the dirt so also the way it goes down the drain. Hardly, anything is done because it’s just treated as ‘normal.’
The state of affairs of corruption in our state has reached astounding proportions that, for people to change, the corrupt systems needs to be cleansed and put in place new systems. To a recent poll survey conducted by this paper on the need for structural changes, 74% responded on the affirmative which indicates that the time is ripe for change. But the normalization coupled with a certain degree of helplessness through a lack of resources and mechanized channeling has been the hindrance to create the change process.
This time the Nagaland budget session finally witnessed some ‘discussion’ through certain questions which had been hardly questioned and thereby created certain discomfort zones. Following which, certain responses were given, but sadly there is no further questioning and the matter finds attested to satisfactory certification. The ‘comforted silence’ of the right thinking public and the numbness of the intellectuals was the missing linkage in creating a subway to ‘truth’ in the pursuit of truth. Having failed to dig out the truth content from the many ‘layers of truth,’ the matter now seems to have been laid to rest.
Now, the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for Nagaland State for the year ending March 31, 2016 has highlighted issues related to fraudulent payments; misutilisation of funds; flaws in distribution; improper planning and implementation. And the inaction of the Public Action Committee (PAC) of the assembly is a major cause of concern. Will the CAG report that has brought to fore serious loopholes, be passed off as just another ghost story? Taking a case in point, the CAG has pointed out flaws in distribution of uniforms and books. For the period from 2011 to 2016, with the exception of 2013-2014, there has been a huge excess in the purchase of textbooks as against the number of students entitled for textbooks. While in the case of school uniforms, with the exception of 2014-2015 which showed an expenditure of the exact approved amount, the periods 2011-2012, 2012-2013, 2013-2014 showed almost double the expenditure as against the approved amount. (For more details refer to The Morung Express, Sunday, April 02, 2017, p. 1). As highlighted, even on the face of it, it is a clear case of inadequate planning, coordination and implementation. Books and uniforms are just two heads of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme coming under SSA. The concept of quality education has been a contentious issue under SSA on one hand, while on the other, utilization of the various other schemes under SSA has raised serious concerns on the issue of implementation and utilization. It has only led to wastage of all forms of resources. Again, inflating the student’s enrollment does not, in any way, serve the real purpose of all round development of the students nor the objectives of the scheme. SSA teacher’s salary is another serious concern and the pending salary for months is a clear case of improper planning and implementation. The adverse effects are many as is already seen. It is high time that the SSA is put to critical scrutiny so that every aspect of the scheme is put to proper usage.
These are issues that lie at the heart of human resource development and what the CAG has pointed out in its audit should serve as a framework towards proper planning and implementation. The Action Committee (PAC) of the assembly should take due cognizance by pressing into action. For now, there are too many ‘ghosts in the shelf’ and it may not haunt today because it’s not taken as a ghost but will definitely in the future, and by which time the well-being of our future generations will be difficult to repair.
(Dr. Asangba Tzüdir contributes a weekly guest editorial to The Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
