Morung Express News
Kohima | September 11
In 2022-24, the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) purchased a few SUVs worth Rs. 1,43,83,771 (One crore, forty-three lakh eighty-three thousand seven hundred seventy-one only).
While this would sound like routine governmental purchase, as per multiple reliable sources, the cars were allegedly procured arbitrarily without following any procedure required for purchase of vehicles as mandated by the government.
As told by the sources, the proposal for purchase of vehicle has to be put up with the Finance Department for financial clearance, which then goes to the Purchase Committee to Planning and finally the sanction order by the Finance department.
“The department has not followed any procedural process; there neither was Cabinet or Planning approval nor approved sanctioned order from the finance department as well. Besides, the vehicles were procured not under any scheme or budget head,” maintained a credible source.
The procured vehicles include eight Mahindra Scorpio N Z6 Diesel Manual (white, black and forest green colour) and one Mahindra Bolero B6 Opt Diesel Manual.
Eight vehicles were attached to Assistant Managers - Relief, Recovery & Mitigation/Nodal Officer Wokha & Shamator; Training & Education/Nodal Officer Zunheboto & Tseminyu; Response & Communication/Nodal Officer Mon, Dimapur & Chümoukedima; Research & Planning/Nodal Officer Mokokchung & Tuensang; Project & Resources/Nodal Officer, Kohima & Longleng; Administration/Nodal Officer Kiphire & Phek and assistant manager attached to Chief Secretary/Nodal Officer, Noklak, while one is being used as a pool vehicle for staff transportation, as per a Right to Information (RTI) response.
The Transport & Communication Department Office Memorandum dated March 26, 2003 requires departmental concurrence for new vehicle purchases as well as condemnation of old ones and planning and finance clearance even under centrally sponsored schemes.
Further, in another notification on June 19, 2023 by the Transports Department, a Committee has been constituted for purchase of government vehicles of the department as decided in a Cabinet meeting held on June 9, 2023.
The Committee is led by the Chief Minister as the chairperson, and the Deputy Chief Minister (Planning & Transformation and National Highways), Advisor (Transport & Technical Education), Chief Secretary, Addl. Chief Secretary (Finance), concerned departments wherever purchase of vehicles are proposed and Secretary (Transport) as members.
In response to a Right to Information (RTI) query, the NSDMA while disclosing the details regarding the purchase of vehicles between the financial years 2022-24, however indicated that no approval was obtained for the acquisitions as mandated by the OM.
When asked under whose authority or approval were these vehicles purchased and to furnish copies of any official communication, internal memos or correspondence regarding the purchase and under which budget or financial head was the expenditure for these vehicles accounted for, the department responded stating that the vehicles were procured under the Search & Rescue head of the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) 2022-23, in compliance with Order No. NSDMA/TPT/VEH/170/2017 (Pt.-II)/433 dated April 28, 2023.
It failed to provide any documents relating to the procurement of the vehicles.
According to the April 28, 2023 order by the Commissioner & Secretary, NSDMA, Home Department stated that “in pursuance to Section 24 (h) of the DM Act 2005, Section 50 of the DM Act 2005 and Section 7(2) of the NSDMA Rules 2011, the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority, Home Department necessitated for immediate procurement of vehicles to attend promptly in responding to emergency duties, minimise the cost of hiring of vehicles and to provide swiftly mobility to NSDMA support officials while attending to emergency.”
The Disaster Management Act 2005 Section 24 (h) focuses on securing necessary resources needed for rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts, while Section 50 is for situations where immediate procurement of materials or resources are needed due to the severity of a disaster.
The disclosure raises questions about procedural compliance.
