“It’s unthinkable that such blatant disregard for rules and guidelines can be carried out with impunity for which appropriate punishment shall have to be meted out to the parties involved”, RPP said with reference to the Working Women’s Hostel (WWH) at Walford Colony, Dimapur
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Correspondent
Rising People’s Party (RPP) on Wednesday has alleged that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Nagaland government and Northern Angami Public Organization (NAPO) to construct a Working Women’s Hostel (WWH) at Walford Colony, Dimapur, is “illegal”.
Demanding the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (MoHUPA) to re-posses the working women’s hostel, the RPP in a press statement informed that on May 18, 2017, a MoU was signed between the government of Nagaland represented by additional director, Municipal Affairs Department (MAD), and the Northern Angami Public Organization (NAPO) whereby the MAD agreed to construct a Working Women’s Hostel (WWH) at Walford Colony Dimapur, and hand over the entire completed building to NAPO for sole ownership.
RPP stated that the said scheme falls under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (MoHUPA) with the state bearing 10 percent of the total project cost which is Rs 968.96 lakhs and it has come to the notice of the RPP that the construction of the hostel has been completed, and now believed to be under the possession of NAPO as per the terms and conditions of the MoU.
In the MoU, it was mentioned that the “second party (NAPO)” would thereafter own, operate and maintain the WWH without interference from the first party (State Government)…and the revenue so generated from the operation of the WWH shall be entirely appropriated by the Second Party…and the First party shall lay no claim whatsoever on the revenue.”
Terming the entire MoU as “fraud and illegal”, the RPP also added that the MoU which was “illegal and total fraud” epitomizes the corrupt state of affairs in the state. “It’s unthinkable that such blatant disregard for rules and guidelines can be carried out with
impunity for which appropriate punishment shall have to be meted out to the parties involved”, RPP said. It further demanded appropriate action be taken against the state government including reviewing all the flagship programmes under the ministry in Nagaland.
It may be mentioned that on December 15, 2016, residents of the Northern Angami Colony (Walford), Dimapur, and representatives from all 24 villages under Northern Angami villages under the banner of “Chakhroma Northern Angami Kuda Union (CNAKU) had during a protest rally staged at the Northern Angami Colony (NAC) playground opposed encroachment of the public ground and against the construction of
“working women’s hostel” initiated by the NAPO.