Dimapur, June 9 : A number of citizens have sought clarifications form the government concerning the use of funds meant for disaster-mitigation and relief in Nagaland. A set of queries, reply from the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA/SDRF) under the Home department, and accompanying details of funds that the government is said to have received, were issued by the citizens.
The statements were appended by citizens Aheto V Yeputhomi, Hukavi T Yeputhomi, Kitoho S Rotokha, L Khevishe Achumi and S Zhevihe Sumi, on Thursday.
The questions are an effort to “understand some hideous functioning of the government” and to enlighten the “unassuming and innocently ignorant public,” the citizens explained. They have also informed to have filed RTI applications in some government departments.
The statement reported that SDMA of Nagaland had received an amount of Rs. 19,41,00,000 for the financial year 2010-11 to 2014-15 as grant-in-aid under State Disaster Response Fund. Out of it, Rs. 12,99,00,401 was distributed to 11 districts; the beneficiaries totaled 15,288 persons. “The SDMA had also contributed Rs. 10,00,000 (Rupees ten lakhs) to Uttarkhand on 24/06/2013 and had spend Rs. 69,15,430 (Rupees sixty nine lakhs, fifteen thousand four hundred and thirty) to unspecified individuals. Accordingly, an amount of Rs. 6,41,99,599 (Rupees six crore, forty one lakhs, ninety nine thousand, five hundred and ninety nine) is still to be utilized,” the statement said. “From the financial year 2010-11 to 2015-16, the Finance department had issued drawal authority for a staggering amount of Rs. 86, 75, 17,000 (Rupees eighty six crore, seventy five lakhs and seventeen thousand) in sixteen different drawal authority order.”
The stated information for different categories of natural calamities and relief fund need to be revealed “since such huge amount, if utilized judiciously in time bound manner, the entire public of the state can be benefitted without raising many unanswered questions,” the citizens stated.
The citizens have demanded answers from the state government over the following points: How the colossal funds were utilized and for what purposes and in what manner and through which agency or authorities; the identities of the individual beneficiaries under the NSDMA and in what manner they were assisted and through whose authority; what the government and the authorities envisages about utilizing the available resources at hand. The citizens have appealed to the government and the authorities in concern to “come out clear on the unanswered questions.”
The statement also showed charts and financial details concerning the funds, namely records from the drawing authorities for disaster management (SDRF/NSDMA) for 2011-2016, and the district-wise fund distribution under the NSDMA from 2012-2013 to 2015-2016, and the year-wise allocations sanctioned to Nagaland (see table).
