NEC has been requested to withhold or not approve the latest “Prioritized Project” list of 30 projects amounting to Rs. 120 Cr as submitted by the Nagaland Cabinet on June 21 this year for approval under NEC 2022-23.
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Correspondent
The Rising People’s Party (RPP) on Monday has requested the North Eastern Council (NEC) to disengage from undertaking new projects in the state of Nagaland.
RPP in a press statement jointly issued by its vice-president, Vitho Zao, and secretary, Akum Longkumer, said that while the NEC as a statutory body was tasked with the vision for the overall development of the North Eastern Region (NER), it reminded the NEC that it has a moral obligation not to create an enabling environment to propagate corruption.
RPP, a regional party in the state of Nagaland, has requested the NEC to withhold or not approve the latest “Prioritized Project” list of 30 projects amounting to Rs. 120 Cr as submitted by the Nagaland Cabinet on June 21 this year for approval under NEC 2022-23.
The justification for the NEC not to approve Nagaland projects is manifold. RPP said firstly, most of the projects including CSS, NEC or DoNER projects are implemented only in paper.
Nagaland state has probably the highest per capita share of projects being implemented in the country but the ground reality was otherwise.
RPP maintained that according to the latest CAG report, fiscal mismanagement and fraudulent withdrawals amounting to thousands of Crores was systemic and unchecked. It said according to NITI Aayog, Nagaland is the Worst Performing State in six parameters (poverty, health, affordable energy, sustainable cities, industries and infrastructure) as per SDGI index, 2021.
Nagaland is also the Worst Performing State as per State Energy and Climate index (SECI), NITI Aayog 2022 and it ranks an embarrassingly 33rd out of 35 states & UTs. Nagaland ranks as the Worst Performing State under the National Health Index 2019-20 (NITI Aayog). The state’s budget deficit is perpetual with the latest being minus 2212.74 Crore for the year 2022-23.
Secondly, Nagaland is presently the only state in India without a medical college wherein the lone project implemented in the year 2014 is still incomplete after 9 long years.
Nagaland High Court building remains incomplete even after 15 years, suffice to point out, exorbitant amount has been sanctioned by the Central government without any output. A PIL with regard to this issue is still pending in the High Court with both the CBI and the ED pursing the matter.
Nagaland University ranks as the worst in the NE region with scores in the151-200 band under National Institutional Ranking framework (NIRF).
Further, the Government of India was going the last mile in ensuring that the fruits of development reaches all corners of the country, however, it was regretted that not even one (1) of the 30 prioritized projects as submitted by the state government is in the “aspirational district” of Kiphire.
In the interest of justice and to give fruition to Prime Minister Modi’s dream of corruption-free India, the NEC is requested to disengage in undertaking new projects in the state of Nagaland. Any new project should be undertaken only after an independent survey of all the past NEC projects is carried out in the state, RPP added. The RPP further hope that the NEC taking such a positive action would do much to inculcate good governance in the state.