More than Rs 5000 crore in state coffers, ACAUT alleges

Dimapur, Feb. 22: The government of Nagaland has been accused of parking a whopping Rs 5229.56 crore in its state coffers while ‘falsely claiming before the Naga people that the state was in financial deficit’.
While delivering this accusation, Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) Nagaland has cited RTI replies – made available to the press on Wednesday – showing that the government of Nagaland, as of December 7, 2016, had Rs 5229.56 crore “parked in its coffers, as released by the centre to the state” for the years 2015, 2016 and 2017.
“This amount is more than enough to pay the salaries of all the SSA, RMSA and Hindi teachers combined 100 times over. Instead, the TR Zeliang government subjected the teachers to humiliations, water cannons and finally beggary. It’s heart-breaking to know that hundreds of innocent teachers are in debt to money lenders, unable to pay the exorbitant interest levied, thanks to the greed of our unscrupulous legislators.
“The ACAUT condemns the attitude of the previous TR Zeliang government for ruining the lives of innocent Naga families. The ACAUT condemns the previous TR Zeliang government for falsely claiming before the Naga people that the state was in financial deficit when it is clear that the 14th Finance Commission had already released Rs 5216 crore as the state’s share of taxes,” read an ACAUT statement.
It pointed out that as per the RTI reply, the Post Devolution Revenue Deficit Grant (or state’s share of tax) was a general grant and utilized by the state government as a whole through budgetary allocations. “Thus, it is amply clear that the TR Zeliang government could have utilized the money in any manner it deemed fit, including payment of teachers’ salaries.
“If indeed the new CM, Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu, is well-versed with the plight of his people, he is requested to bring in the CBI for investigation, not only into the fuel adulteration case and the rice scam but to investigate whether the released Rs 5229 rore is still parked in the state coffers,” it stated.
The ACAUT has also requested the chief minister to make public the HPC report before the ACAUT does the same. “Once again, all the government servants and government contractors are informed that there’s enough money to pay all pending bills and pending salaries. And any other excuses not to release salaries and bills are blatant lies to usurp the money for 2018 elections.”
It stated that the state government had ‘contemptuously brushed aside the apprehensive voices’ of the tribe bodies on possible dilution of Article 371A and sent the ‘broad unmistakable message’ that no legislator would ever listen to popular voices. “The newly formed government under the new CM Shurhozelie Liezietsu is reminded that the same arrogance of the previous government denying basic rights to the people, such as non-payment of salaries, non-compliance with mid-day meal schemes, or diversion of PDS rice, SK oil, sugar, etc., should not be repeated.”
The lies of the previous government that it had no money should not be repeated by the new chief minister, it warned.