NPF vs. Kire: RD dept. says NPF outburst is ‘premature’

Dimapur, April 16 (EMN): The state’s department of Rural Development has issued a clarification to the allegation hurled by the Naga People’s Front (NPF) that the department’s new principal secretary had indulged in ‘nepotism and favouritism’ while distributing MGNREGS fund.

A press release from the department on Monday stated that the officer, by being the commissioner of MGNREGA ‘by default’, allocates and sanctions fund. “All proposals and allocations are made by the department based on the requirement of the district/block/village and is placed to the commissioner, MGNREGA for approval and sanctioning. Therefore the question of funds being allocated at the whims of the principal secretary/commissioner (MGNREGA) does not arise.”

To the claim made by the NPF that the central government has sanctioned INR 285 cr. – out of which, the party had alleged, the present government embezzled ‘a high percentage’ – the department clarified that only INR 140 cr. has been released so far.

“Further, it is also clarified that Nagarjan (Kuda) village C khel being a bonafide recognised Naga village having a total job card of 1820, is entitled to demand for work and take up any work in the village based on the requirement under the scheme, as per guidelines,” it stated.

The department felt that it was ‘premature’ for any party to judge the credibility of the officer who had taken charge of office only on April 1.