Want Government to clarify on location & utilization of the funds
Dimapur, November 3 (MExN): The village councils (VCs) of Tenyiphe-I, Tenyiphe-II and Tenyiphe —III (Virazouma) today said that they were appalled “to learn that an amount of Rs.72 Lakhs had been drawn for construction of Hostel at Tenyiphe Village, Dimapur.”
The figures were revealed in a press statement by Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF) in September alleging that that the Finance Department of the Nagaland State Government issued “double drawal authorities for construction of 17 hostels for scheduled tribes boys and girls at various locations in the state.”
The Nagaland State Government’s Department of Planning and Co-ordination (DoPC) has clarified an amount of Rs. 1002.50 Lakh was “drawn twice by the Planning Department for construction of 17 hostels on different occasions and under different Drawal Authority Letter and that the total amount for the project doubled to Rs. 2005.00 Lakh.” A hostel in Tenyiphe Village was included in the list of beneficiaries, contractors and firms provided by the DoPC to counter the allegation.
However, in a new twist, the three villages have claimed that no “such works had been taken up in any of the village. “No person by the name Tepuvito Angami, to whom the works had been allegedly awarded, exists in any of the three villages,” informed a joint statement from the village councils of the three villages.
The statement said that a joint meeting of the three villages held on October 24 ascertained that no hostel construction was taken up in any of the villages.
“The nefarious activity of the government in using the name of our village to indulge in corruption is seriously viewed,” the VCs noted asking for clarification from the state government.
“We demand that the government or the concerned department to clarify as to where the said hostel is being constructed or where the said fund has been utilized. The three village councils cannot remain mute spectators to such act of the government in siphoning off such a huge amount by using our village name,” it added.
The VCs further asked the government to “let the villages know who Tepuvito Angami is and as to what he had done with the amount he had drawn using our villages’ name.”
The concerned contractor was also summoned to appear before the three village councils within fifteen (15) days from the date of the publication of the press statement.
If not, the three villages will initiate their own course of action, stated the press statement appended by Helie Kruse, Chairman Tenyiphe – I Village Council; Rünavilhou Kin, Chairman,Tenyiphe-II Village Council; and V Dezol Natso Chairman Tenyiphe-III Village Council.
