Acaut lauds Lokayukta for granting prosecution sanction against IAS officers

Dimapur, Aug. 16 (EMN): The Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (Acaut) on Saturday hailed the Nagaland Lokayukta for granting the prosecution sanction against the two charge-sheeted retired IAS officers for the project of 'Post Harvest Management of Horticulture crops ' in six districts, amounting to INR  717.90 lakh.

In the statement, the Acaut said it was astonishing that without technical approval, the work order was issued and within four days the first installment of INR 241.30 lakh was released.

The prompt approval and the haste withdrawal of cash bypassing procedural requirements was a clear indication of the nefarious nexus between the technocrats, bureaucrats and politicians for their own vested interest, it said, adding that red-tapism on genuine welfare projects have resulted in their lapse as it does not give the concerned officials enough inducements and expected returns.

The glaring fact that the said project implemented in the six districts of Dimapur, Peren, Phek, Wokha, Tuensang and Mokokchung were made on private lands instead of government procured lands has exposed a sinister design to handover the projects to certain privileged class of people once the implementation is over, it stated.

This pandemic, it said, has shown that the post harvest management of vegetables and fruits is the most crucial sector to make farming profitable and the connivance to sabotage such important project under SFAC (N) (Small Farmers' Agribusiness Consortium) amounts to betrayal of the trust of the farmers.

Acaut demanded that exemplary punishment be given as deterrent after the indictment of the accused and collaborators.

Unless justice is served, it said, cyclical corruption that has itself become an epidemic in the state of Nagaland will spiral out of control. 

Acaut further asserted that unless the state government enforces rule of law among its employees without any preferential treatment or fear and favour, the hope and aspirations of the citizens will be lost for worst and instead reiterate the fact that Nagaland is a failed state that is on the verge of anarchy.