DIMAPUR, MAY 17 (MExN): The NPCC today stated that the NPF led DAN government’s usual rhetoric on development and governance for the past two terms of its rule is devoid of any substance. The Opposition Congress has pointed out that the NPF’s claim of people as “direct beneficiaries” of their governance was fully true in the context of “dilapidated roads, crumbling infrastructure, poor health services, erratic power supply and nonexistent water supply to name a few”. The NPCC stated this while issuing a rejoinder to the counter statement made by the ruling NPF on the question of “financial mismanagement” as first alleged by the NPCC.
The Congress pointed out that the NPF statement only blamed the Congress rather than take responsibility. On the Rs 648 crores held in Civil Deposit for 2012-13, the NPCC Media Cell stated that the NPF only compared the neighboring states of Manipur and Mizoram to justify the state government’s action. The NPCC said that it had not asked “for comparative analysis nor raised the issue of other states but questioned the rationale behind hoarding such a huge amount, which was nearly one third of the state’s annual plan outlay for 2012-13 (Rs 2000 crores excluding Rs 300 crores SPA for ENPO areas)”.
The NPCC reiterated that the state government asking the heads of department to submit utilization report without releasing money from civil deposit was illegal. On the deficit of Rs 365 crores left by the Congress government in 2003, it was explained that Rs 196 crores was a result of implementing the 5th RoP in 2001, since the then BJP led NDA government at the Centre refused to offer any financial assistance to the Congress government in the state for implementation of the 5th RoP.
“The balance of Rs 169 crores can be counted as normal deficit in 10 years (1993-2002), since the present Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio who was the Works & Housing Minister from 1993-97 and Home Minister from 1998-2002 and present Planning Minister, TR Zeliang were part of the Congress ministry and are fully aware of the difficult situation imposed by the then BJP led NDA government”, the NPCC stated.
However, the NPCC pointed out that the Congress led UPA government at the Centre granted Rs 712 crores to the state for implementing the 6th RoP in 2010 irrespective of the party in power. It was further alleged that out of Rs 712 crores, only Rs 472 crores were utilized and the rest amounting to Rs 240 crore just vanished. Moreover, it was pointed out that out of Rs 472 crores allotted to 72 departments, 40% of the amount totaling nearly Rs 190 crores was credited into GPF account of the employees.
The NPCC also disclosed that in 2010, the Centre had also provided an additional Rs 323 crores as Special Finance Assistance in addition to Rs 712 crores for the 6th RoP, thereby totaling the amount to Rs 1035 crores.
Also it was pointed out that since the NDA government wiped off the deficit of Rs 365 crores in 2003, the Finance Minister of the NPF led DAN government was able to present a surplus budget of Rs 18 crores in 2004-05. However, “the deficit has been increasing at an alarming pace for the last nine years”, the NPCC alleged.
The NPF was also reminded that the pattern of funding by the 13th Finance Commission was implemented across the country and not confined to the state of Nagaland alone. “With generous funding by the Congress led UPA government, it cannot blame the congress regime for doing little, since 92% of its resources comes from the Centre”, the NPCC stated.
On the Dimapur-Kohima 4 lane expressway, the NPCC stated that though the NDA government granted Rs 400 crores for its implementation in 2003, the “shortsightedness of the NPF led DAN government has ensured that the project never took off”. It was alleged that the random issue of land pattas by the NPF during the past ten years on either side of the road, especially along the Dimapur- Chumukedima stretch with numerous buildings encroaching has “created a massive bottleneck leaving no scope for expansion”.
It added, “The NPF would do well to demolish all illegal structures which have created a big hurdle in the way of expansion and punish those responsible for random issue of land pattas”.
Regarding the 22.92 MW Thermal Power plant at Dimapur, the NPCC stated that this was approved at the cost of Rs 105.57 crore by the Ministry of Power in September 2003 and was scheduled to be completed by May 2005. The NPCC alleged that after incurring a cost of Rs 32 crore, the state government failed to prioritize the balance funding, thus foreclosing the project in May 2005.
According to the NPCC, if the NPF strongly felt that there was no financial mismanagement in the State, then “why are the deficits growing at an alarming pace, reaching Rs 927 crore by the end of 2012-13.” It questioned, “Why huge borrowings from open market and financial institutions (Rs 655 crore in 2012-13) at exorbitant interest rates well above the permissible limits are continuing and why hoard Rs 648 crores in Civil Deposit, and ask for utilization without releasing the money?”
The NPCC pointed out that the poor condition of roads, erratic power, siphoning off educational schemes under SSA and RMSA; manipulation of wages under NREGA etc would speak for itself. It added that the NPF would do well to take corrective measures to steer Nagaland out of this financial mess instead of “refuting and putting the blame on the NPCC for telling the truth to the people”.
