To detect, book, investigate and take appropriate action against any person violating the laws of the land is the bounden duty of an elected government. It is not the primary responsibility of ACAUT to invest so much efforts to unearth every anomaly that an individual officer, a politician, a Govt. Department or a business firm has committed against public interest in the State of Nagaland today. Indeed, it is the primary duty of the popular Govt. of the day to remain sincere and sensitive enough to any form of abuse of power and violation of rules by either its employees or private individuals and book such culprits efficiently without fear or favour in the interest of governance.
However, in contemporary Nagaland context, the roles are practically reversed. In fact, the State Govt. has virtually shed off its basic responsibilities of upholding the rule of law. The present Govt. is responsible in dismantling its own established laws and ethics. A solid instance is how the Vigilance Commission is disarmed. This being the situation, the role of the Govt. is to be held by philanthropic NGOs like, NTC, NPRAAF, NCVO, SN and ACAUT for the sake of the oppressed.
Accordingly, the ACAUT has exposed how the industry of fuel adulteration runs in Nagaland. There is no room for anybody to doubt about the racket which is not a recent set up, but we all know that this illicit business has been there for long. The Govt. knows it that most of the petrol pumps in Nagaland do stock adulterated fuels, both petrol and diesel. Yet, the Govt. has never ever tried to uproot the illegal business which is punishable under law. May be some of the concerned authorities in the Govt. are having share holding in the illicit industry and therefore disabling the racket may harm their business interest. And we all know that Food & Civil Supplies Deptt. is in-charge of essential services which includes Kerosene oil distribution which is in question now. Also, we all know that this very Deptt. has been the exclusive additional portfolio of few successive Chief Ministers including the existing one. I never like to use adulterated fuel as that will shorten the engine life of my vehicle. Yet, from where do I get uncontaminated and genuine fuel in Nagaland? Therefore, every consumer is compelled to spend money for adulterated fuel as much as paying for the genuine fuel. Nevertheless, what else the helpless consumers do when the elected Govt. decides not to make it presence felt in such matters of public interest.
Now, the major task of the detection on the racket is done by ACAUT. For judicious and satisfactory probe and actions, the political will of the Govt. is indispensable. It is for the District administration to scrutinize the expositions made by ACAUT and take prompt action against the culprits. It is also for the administration to thoroughly examine the involvement of not only professional fuel dealers but people of all shade which is a possibility. However, if at all, some powerful and rich rascals are share holders, the investigation will once again be blinded, then the tempo of investigation will become damp squib. Rather, the local administrators and the Police officers who sincerely pursued the racket will be sandwiched between the public pressure and the behind the screen powerful politicians and bureaucrats having syndicate with those greedy businessmen. Whereas, the question of booking and punishing the culprit will not arise allowing the fuel adulteration racket in Nagaland to become a bigger booming business. We are watching whether this racket is the exclusive operation of those culprits named or the joint venture.
In the event of the Govt’s refusal to conduct thorough probe followed by positive and timely actions, it will not be difficult to understand that the racket in question has the approval of the Govt. of if the day. In such situation, the culprits, who are exploiting hundreds of thousands of consumers, will have the last laugh at ACAUT saying ‘Oh! ACAUT, where is your sting?’
Z. Lohe
