'Give voluntary retirement to workers of underperforming agencies'
Dimapur, May 23 (EMN): The Against Corruption and Unabated Corruption (Acaut) has alleged that a number of government directorates and agencies are superfluous and have not been performing that they need to be 'wind up' to save Nagaland state money and expenditure.
The anti-corruption platform issued a press release on Thursday listing out a number of suggestions to address the anomalies.
Several of the measures it suggested that the government take include giving non-performing departments and its employees a 'golden handshake' and letting them off with a voluntary retirement scheme.
The Acaut stated to have conducted a survey of the functioning of 68 directorates in Nagaland, during which the group said to have found that many directorates were without clear establishment objectives.
Likewise, many of the employees were found to be shirking from work, the Acaut alleged.
"Whether they come to office or not at the end of the month their salaries are sincerely prepared by the bill assistant and after passing by the Treasury and Accounts their monthly salaries are credited into their accounts maintained by the State Bank of India."
Further, the group stated that the survey revealed many of the directorates and public sector undertakings were 'not functioning well.' It is reported regularly in the media that 60% of the Nagaland government's budget is spend for payment of salaries.
Further, revenue earning departments like the Public Works, Electricity, NST, Taxes and Transport are not earning the desired revenue, the Acaut stated. The organisation alleged also that the survey revealed the electricity department to have leased out electricity bill collection to 'a company' in many towns in Nagaland.
'As a result of this, the revenue collected for electricity from consumers goes to the company located in Kolkata. This is the reason how the electricity bills are shown huge amounts, much more than the actual meter reading,' the Acaut stated.
The organisation has recommendations to address the alleged anomalies in the departments besides 'winding up' a number of departments and public sector undertakings to 'economise' govt. expenditures.
Urban Development
The directorate is to prepare master plans. The town planning was a cell in the Public Works department to implement town protection work, the Acaut stated.
'However, till today there is not a well prepared master plan which can be implemented in right perspective. There are around 160 employees assisted by engineers and technical employees deputed from the parent department PWD...' the updates stated.
The employees are duplicating town protection works of the PWD, the Acaut alleged. 'Moreover in the ministry of government of India there is no Urban Development (agency).'
The organisation lamented that most of the centrally sponsored schemes such as the JNNURM have been stopped.
'Many projects taken up by the directorate are abandoned "after half done,"' the Acaut lamented.
The group listed a number of construction works that were abandoned. The list included car parking lots in Dimapur, public marketing and recreational facilities.
This organisation trained it sights on the Vigilance directorate. Over the years, this directorate has done their best. However, the Acaut stated, the department 'could not do much investigation' and has shown 'no tangible and acceptable report to the public' during the past few years of the Naga Peoples' Front's rule.
The organisation listed out a good number of cases that it said the Vigilance failed to handle or solve including corruption and misuse of funds, and backdoor appointments by departments.
The group suggested to the government that it 'wind up' the 'directorate' and authorise the Central Vigilance Commission and National Investigation Agency to engage investigations whenever necessary.
"The employees are eating away government money without much output or achievement...If not as suggested earlier, the employees may allowed to accept VRS (voluntary retirement scheme). This will save lots of money on wasteful expenditure."
The Acaut this another version of the power department: 'This is a duplication of the Electricity department as till today this department could not produce any energy.
If there is any achievement which will benefit the public, please publish it for the kind information of the public. Otherwise it can merge with the parent department and save energy as well as money.'
This development agency was established for a specific city and never for the whole state, the Acaut stated. It just collects the rent at the Naga Shopping Arcade in Dimapur and no other development works are visible, the organisation stated.
The press release stated: 'To collect rent from the shop it is not necessary to appoint so many employees. Every year not less than INR 1,5 crore (sic) are spent only for salary as grant in aid.
'This PSU can be wind up with a golden handshake and entrust the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) to collect the monthly rent which can be collected by 10 employees.'
The Acaut stated further that the DMC had appointed more than 80 lower divisional assistants 'who are not contributing much output.' The council has now more than 300 employees and "eating away more than INR 4 crore only on salary.'
'With so many employees the DMC is not able to collect municipal garbage (sic) and clean the town. The first priority of any municipality is to keep our towns clean,' the press release reminded.
The organisation called this another duplicate.
'This is a duplication of the department of Geology and Mining.
The only cement factory in Waziho has been defunct. Once upon a time Nagaland could produce best quality cement but now no contractor is willing to buy Nagaland cement as it takes one day to dry the cement,' the Acaut complained.
'This department can be merged with parent department of Geology and Mining. Otherwise, apply a golden handshake with the employees,' the press release suggested dryly.
The organisation felt that the government of Nagaland can save much if it will appoint a technical team led by a retired 'IAS officer' for downsizing the departments.
'It will save a lot of wasteful expenditure on payment of unproductive government employees and allocate the saving for development works by the technical departments,' the Acaut
suggested.
