DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 3 (MExN): The Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF) today questioned the State Police Department on the utilization of funds amounting to Rs 26.09 Crore released to it.
A press note from the NPRAAF informed that Rs 17.85 cr was released for NAP/IRB deployment at New Delhi and other States. It revealed that Rs 4.56 crore was released in September 2017 for deployment and withdrawal of the NAP personnel from New Delhi.
“However, even after releasing so much money in the name of deploying and withdrawing the jawans, it is quite unfortunate and surprising that the NAP personnel had to protest against improper/poor treatment for their journey as reported in some of the local dailies on September 23, 2017,” the NPRAAF pointed out.
Such protests, it added, “show a poor picture of the State as if required funds had not been provided for the purpose resulting in the jawans behaving in such a manner shaming Naga people in the nation’s capital.” It further viewed that the incident raises strong questions on the transparent utilization of the funds released to the Police Department.
Meanwhile, the NPRAAF also informed that another Rs 4.23 crore was released on December 19, 2016 and Rs 3.13 crore on January 24, 2017 by the Finance Department “for deployment of police personnel for Assembly Election duty in 5 States viz- Punjab, Manipur, Goa, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.”
During the Assam bye-election last year too, the FD released Rs 1.28 crore on November 3, 2016 for deployment of police personnel, it added. Further, the NPRAAF informed that another Rs 4.34 crore was released on July 7, 2016 for deployment of 13th IR Battalion to Purulia, West Bengal and withdrawal of 12th IR Battalion from Purulia, West Bengal. In addition to this, Rs 29 lakh was released on June 6, 2016 for deployment of police personnel for Rathyatra Festival in Gujarat.
“Even after releasing such huge amount, if the Nagaland Police Department cannot give proper treatment to its personnel performing duties outside the State, then it has to be answerable to the public on transparent utilization of the funds received. The Police Department is cautioned against mistreating the jawans but to treat them properly while in the line of duty,” the NPRAAF said.
Meanwhile, it informed that the Finance Department released a total amount of Rs 7.73 cr “for deployment of police personnel for Municipal Election in all Districts of the State.” The civic bodies elections were supposed to be held on February 1, 2017 but the government called it off owing to widespread public protest.
“In most of the places, nominations were not even filed and many withdrew nominations thus cutting down expenses for police personnel on duty. Since elections were not held at all, did the Police Department utilize all the amount released by the FD?” the NPRAAF questioned.
If not, it asked whether the unutilized amount was deposited back to the government treasury. The NPRAAF urged the Police Department to clarify on this issue regarding how much amount was utilized and how much amount is left “since it is not possible to have used the entire amount when elections were not held at all.”
With regard to the recently held bye-election to Northern Angami-I A/C, the NPRAAF informed that the FD had released Rs 50.83 lakh for deployment of police personnel. “Out of the total amount, Rs 15.79 lakh (16 August 2017) was released by the FD for payment of TA/DA to the 10th IR Battalion & PHQ, while Rs 35. 04 lakh (25 July 2017) was released for expenses to be incurred for bye election to NA-1 Constituency,” it informed.
The NPRAAF questioned whether the IRB jawans got their due share of TA/DA. “How much amount was each jawan given as their TA/DA? If Rs 15.79 lakh was for payment of TA/DA, then for what kind of “expenses” was the amount of Rs 35.04 lakh released and utilized?” it further asked.
Since there was no break-up detail provided in the Drawal Authority for Rs 35.04 lakh, the NPRAAF urged the Police Department and the Finance Department to clarify on this “expenses” and quote the TA/DA amount given to each jawan.
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