The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) issued a press release today titled ‘A Nugget of Rio NDPP – BJP government’s corruption’ following a press briefing in Dimapur by Sujata Paul, AICC Media Coordinator, and Temjenyanger Longkumer, PCC Secretary & Spokesperson, NPCC.
In it, the NPCC has alleged the NDPP and BJP of exhibiting a “blatant lack of respect for public money” and of indulging in “corruption without fear”.
“The BJP at the centre has encouraged the Neiphiu Rio government to shamelessly indulge in corruption,” it stated.
To prove their point, the Congress cited the case of “the non-functional” shopping complex and parking plaza at Forest Colony, Dimapur.
The party pointed out that, according to information attained through RTI, the state planning board had decided to construct the shopping complex in a meeting on 9 June 2011 at the Chief Minister’s office.
“The funds apparently came from the Ministry of Urban Development and HUDCO,” the party stated and added that the construction cost “supposedly” came to Rs 43 crore.
The press release further read: “It has been mentioned time and again that the State Planning and Coordination Department/State Planning Board came up with this idea and built the complex on forest land funded by the Urban Ministry.”
The Congress alleged that if the complex is owned by the forest department, then “this is brazen corruption by Rio Government”.
It further alleged that the complex has been “constructed for some private entity” and asked who the private entity could be.
“The Congress party demands questions on behalf of the Naga people who money is being misused,” the press release stated, adding that the money “has not come from any of the MLA’s personal accounts” but that it is public money.
The party further pointed out that the building structure is in poor condition, carrying a “dilapidated look” and asserted that “this is criminal waste of public money”.
The Chief Minister “must explain how this Complex was built on government land belonging to the Forest Department,” demanded the Congress.
It also asserted the need for the government “to explain who the private entity is that they are thinking of passing on the building to.” And in the case that a private entity is not involved, the party asked why the building has “not been utilised for some constructive activity in Public Interest.”
The press release ended with these questions aimed at the present government:
“For the youth of Nagaland that is suffering due to the high rate of unemployment, why was a policy not framed to empower and provide employment to the youth of Nagaland or even other entrepreneurs? Why could this place not have been utilised for Start Ups, offices for Self Help Groups and others?”
