Dimapur, August 24 (EMN): The ACAUT on Thursday alleged that the chief minister have been withholding information on details of authority given for withdrawal of money issued by the Finance Department although the RTI application was filed in April 2017.
The ACAUT in their press release stated that the RTI application was filed on 6th April 2017 in the Finance Department seeking information pertaining to ‘drawal authorities’ on additional funds allocated during 2016-17
The organisation has claimed that it is yet to receive the reply and on meeting the OSD of the department to enquire it claimed that “OSD very honestly revealed that the RTI was with T.R. Zeliang, then Finance in-charge, for review”.
It therefore filed a complaint with the “Appellate Authority, the Finance Commissioner on 8/6/17” but the finance department it is yet to furnish the reply.
The OSD expressed his helplessness and said that the RTI file was still with T.R. Zeliang, and that there was nothing he could do about it.
In their query the members of the ACAUT had asked for the copy of all the drawal authority orders issued by the FD with respect to all the departments wef 1st April 2016 to March 2017; Additional Funds allotted during 2016-17 with relevant documents; Names of the departments; Name of the project proposals; Total amount project and department-wise; Funds released to flagship programmes during 2016-17; Name of the department; Amount of Central share; Amount of state share both current and backlog; and the a copy each of the budget document of 2016 and 2017.
The ACAUT therefore questioned why the Chief Minister is “withholding information” and what is there in the Finance Department “that he is trying to hide”.
“The ACAUT Nagaland demands that the Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang immediately release the RTI information and clear his name”, it further stated.
Questions former Minister PWD (R&B)
Meanwhile, in another press release ACAUT questioned the statements of former minister of PWD (Roads and Bridges) in the month of May that only Rs. 40 crores were earmarked for maintenance but the department had made withdrawals amounting to Rs. 72 crore.
“…. according to the newspaper publication on 21st May 2016 the then Road and Bridges Minister in a press conference stated that one of the factors responsible for the bad road conditions in the state was due to change in funding pattern and due to which the R&B department fund for maintenance has come down to just Rs. 40 Crore since 2015,” stated the press release.
However, hte autority for withdrawal issued by the finance department indicates that the Dept. of had had made two withdrawals of “Rs 3242.50 (Rupees 32 Crore, 42 lakhs and 50,000) and 2000.00 Lakh (20 Crore only) totaling to an amount of Rs.5242.50 lakh (52 crore, 42 lakh and 50,000)” for maintenance for roads under various Divisions in the month of March.
It stated that the Roads and Bridges department again made a withdrawal of 20 Crore on 12th Dec. 2016 under maintenance of roads, making the total to Rs. 72 crore.
It therefore questioned the former minister why he said that under the new funding pattern the “allotment for road maintenance was under 40 crore” when the department had totally withdrawn over 72 crore.
