Zunheboto, May 23 (MExN): Addressing a public rally at Zunheboto town on May 23, leader of the NPF Legislature Party, TR Zeliang attacked the PDA government for bringing ‘change only through words and not deeds.’
TR recalled the issue of Students Insurance Scheme which he was raised during the first session of the 13th Legislative Assembly, Zeliang and questioned as to whether the Insurance Scheme was ‘a centrally sponsored or State-funded’ and questioned whether the scheme had ‘any linkage with third party companies’ or ‘free for all or certain premium(s)’ was to be paid by the beneficiaries.
A press note stated that citing incidents on how the present CM attempted to divide and instabilize the NPF Party, he said that Rio ‘projected G Kaito Aye as CM candidate which gave rise to endless crisis and hardships to the people of Nagaland.’‘However now that Rio is in power, G. Kaito Aye is being sidelined and preference is given to the newly elected members in the cabinet,’ he added.
Zeliang also highlighted sanctions approved for Zunheboto under the previous NPF regime which was diverted by PDA Government recently. ‘Rs. 2.75 crores sanctioned for the development of Zunheboto town was diverted leaving zero penny for the town,’ he said.
Taking a dig at Rio for the State’s financial crisis, Zeliang said that ‘after the one time grant by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government which brought the State deficit to zero, the 11 years tenure of Rio as the CM of Nagaland abnormally brought the deficit of the State to Rs. 1234 crores at the time of his departure for Delhi.’
During the 1st session of the 13th Legislative Assembly, the figures were wrongly mentioned by Governor, PB Acharya while addressing the House and the matter was taken up for debate at the Budget Session even as the Leader of Opposition, TR Zeliang brought the matter to the notice of the Speaker, Er Vikho-o Yhoshü in written asking for the reconciled figure from RBI. Unfortunately, there has been no reply from the Speaker till date, the report claimed.
On the performance of the two months old PDA Government, NPF Spokesperson, Achumbemo Kikon cited the unfortunate incidents of ‘two life attempts made on business people in Dimapur few weeks after Rio took over as the CM, the closure of petrol pumps in Nagaland in protest against the kidnapping of a driver and handyman and the boycott of bye-election by the College Students community.’
On the difference between NPF-BJP alliance and NDPP-BJP alliance, Kikon said, ‘NPF was never controlled by BJP whereas PDA Government is today controlled by BJP and NDPP is playing second fiddle to a de-facto BJP Government.’
The NPF candidate for the Lok Sabha Bye-Election, C Apok Jamir said that the upcoming election was ‘not a contest between two tribes but a contest between two different ideologies which is issue based.’
Calling upon the Nagas to vote for NPF in order to protect the interest, identity and religion of the Nagas, Jamir said that NPF was ‘the true voice of the Naga People.’ Also addressing the gathering, Yitachu called upon the people to send the right person to represent the Nagas in the Parliament.
