Rio landed the state in deficit of INR 1234 crore, claims Zeliang

Dimapur, Feb. 20 (EMN): State chief minister, TR Zeliang termed the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) as a party engaged in ‘politics without agenda,’ and came down hard on Neiphiu Rio of landing the state in a deficit of INR 1234 crore.
Addressing the election rally at Mon, Longwa and Aboi under Mon district, the chief minister said, ‘the manifesto of NDPP is TR Zeliang as Rio has been talking only about me and nothing more during his entire campaign across the state,’ Zelaing said.
Dubbing NDPP party as one similar to an ‘un-recognised village’ with a ‘global symbol’ and a ‘nationalist name,’ Zeliang said that the newly floated NDPP party was least bothered about the Nagas.
On his qualification issue which Rio’s has been picking from day one of NDPP’s campaign, Zeliang clarified that he had never produced any fake certificate unlike the former.
‘Unlike Rio, who had produced fake BA Honours certificate while contesting for Lok Sabha MP Seat, I had never produced any fake certificate,’ he declared.
Zeliang narrated how a false certificate was enclosed with Rio’s nomination papers during the Lok Sabha election in 2014 which later came up in North Police Station, Kohima, for investigation.
He recalled that Rio had then blamed his personal secretary for obtaining a fake certificate while the principal and vice principal of Kohima College were made to apologise publicly.
‘It was not he alone that had committed an offense but in the process, he had forced others to lie for him,’ Zeliang added.
While stating that Rio during his chief ministership for 11 years, had declared International Trade Centre in Longwa, Pangsha, Avangkhu ‘without any road connectivity,’ Zeliang likened it to ‘a dried up river where the people of Mon district were sent for fishing.’
‘There was no sanction but he allotted the works to his men where fund was drawn against half done works,’ he said while adding that his government had however brought sanction for the same and work was in progress at present.
On corruption during Rio’s tenure as chief minister, Zeliang elucidated that it was Rio who had ‘landed the state in a deficit of Rs. 1234 Crores after which he left for Delhi.’
‘Government fund was utilised to build Noune Resort, Niathu Resort while escalation for construction of Cricket Stadium increased from INR 25 crores to 75 crores which was build on his own land at Sovima after purchasing it at a high cost,’ he alleged.