DIMAPUR, APRIL 12 (MExN): The Naga People’s Front (NPF) has accused the PDA government and the new Principal Secretary of Rural Development of alleged “misuse” and “brazen favouritism” in distribution of funds sanctioned for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) scheme.
Press Bureau, NPF in a press release on Thursday said the NPF-led DAN government under former Chief Minister, TR Zeliang had ensured the release of Rs 285 crore under MNREGA by Government of India, but the same could not be released to the Village Development Boards (VDB) due to Election Model Code of Conduct.
Now, the present government under Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has misused the central fund buy deducting high percentage instead of disbursing it to the VDBs for development, the NPF alleged.
It also alleged that the “new Principal Secretary of RD is implementing MNREGA program at his own whim and fancies due to which the concerned department and VDBs are facing severe difficulties.”
The NPF pointed out that out of the total amount of Rs 285 crore, the PDA government has released Rs 140 crore to the VDBs just recently. From this, Dimapur district has been allocated Rs 13, 24, 11, 351 out of which the normal total allocation for VDB, Nagarjan (kuda) village is Rs 10, 73, 800.
However, apart from the cited amount, the NPF has alleged that the Principal Secretary, RD through his own discretion has allocated an additional amount of Rs 1, 45, 00, 000 to Nagarjan (Kuda) village, taking the total amount to Rs 1, 55, 71, 800.
The NPF has wondered who has delegated financial power to the Principal Secretary to allocate such huge amount to a single village. It also wanted to know if such a huge amount is given to a single village what would be the fate of more than 200 villages in Dimapur district.
“Is this not a clear-cut case of favoritism, nepotism and corruption? Is this the change PDA Government is bringing to Nagaland?” the NPF has therefore questioned.
