The decision taken by the state government was not only “unconstitutional and undemocratic” but it also “reeks of cowardice and surrendering,” says RPP
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Correspondent
Rising People’s Party (RPP), Nagaland, on Friday said that the recent decision of the Nagaland government to forgo Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) elections and instead nominate members to all the municipal bodies and town councils in the state is totally condemnable.
Stating that the Planning and Coordination Minister, Nagaland, Neiba Kronu, should understand that the decision was not only “unconstitutional and undemocratic” but it also “reeks of cowardice and surrendering,” RPP said that there is no such thing as power without accountability and the decision to nominate members to the ULBs or the government’s high sounding 70:30 ratio for women does not convince anyone
“This charade is basically to reward party faithful and cronies alike before the assembly elections of 2023”, RPP maintained while also adding that the ruling party’s decision was a conscious decision to loot the ULBs, to get their hands on the so-called toll taxpie, which for the DMC was to the tune of Rs. 1 Crore (approx) per month.
“While the entire toll-tax ecosystem as prevalent in DMC is questionable, there’s no doubt that the huge revenue accrued is utilized to maintain the office of the DMC and for the salary upkeep of close to 400 employees, including sanitation workers” RPP said.
Saying that if however the nominated members or the so-called “Advisors” manage to squeeze their way into the ULBs, particularly DMC, the entire ecosystem would collapse and Dimapur would suffer particularly.
“DMC will be bankrupt, unable to pay even the basic salaries of its employees, let alone manage waste. In short, the ‘Advisors’ will bankrupt DMC”, added RPP. Also maintaining that these are not empty allegations, RPP said that Neiba Kronu should know that on
June 11, 2012, the State Vigilance Commission (VGC) had raided the DMC citing huge misappropriation right after the Advisors had demitted office and claimed it was another matter that the issue was hushed up through direct intervention from “upstairs”.
“Should the Minister care he should find out at whose behest the corruption scam involving seizure of huge numbers of SUVs was hushed up. Dimapur and the other ULBs are not political playgrounds for the ruling government to toy around with at will” said RPP.
Further, RPP said that instead of trying to make backdoor entries into the ULBs, the RPP dares the ruling parties to conduct free and fair elections but since the UDA government is “toothless on the issue of election in the ULBs, it’s also incumbent upon the Rising People’s Party to oppose the nominated/advisory system tooth and nail”, said RPP.