Dimapur, July 5 (EMN): Citing instances on the prevalence of illegal collection and other malpractices in the government departments, the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) said the claim of the state government that “law and order is normal” is an insult to the public.
NPCC, in a statement issued by its president K Therie, stated that the writ of the state government has been surrendered ever since regional party came to power, resulting in multi-parallel ‘self-styled (SS) governments’ in the state. Alleging that the writs of ‘SS governments’ are more feared than that of the state government, he said a look at social media would confirm that people do not care or fear criticising the state government openly but are careful with the ‘SS multi-governments’.
Claiming that public has lost security to life and property, he said entrepreneurs, contractors and suppliers are the prey of free predators equipped with sophisticated weapons, many of which have come from the state government.
To bolster his claim, Therie cited on the reply of the chief minister to a stared question of CLP leader in the state assembly in 2012, who had admitted that 44,550 ammunitions and 152 arms were lost from police custody. He opined that the figures could be much more as uncontrolled factional wars escalated in the years that followed.
Therie also alleged that illegal collection has increased many fold as all the nine ‘SS governments’ have agreed to collect without objecting to each other. He said clashes have come down not because of government’s control but because of the understanding between factions.
“Today, they all sit together in the state police check gates and collect their shares. From wholesale and retail sales, they collect monthly and some annually visiting shop to shop. Sometimes, entrepreneurs are summoned,” Therie claimed.
While acknowledging that record of arrests could be true as Assam Rifles and police have arrested many, Therie however alleged that orders were given from political leaders in the chair for their release before reaching the police station. He claimed that some persons detained under NSA are released after one year with no case.
Therie also stated that public is in the knowledge of how many were killed, murdered, assassinated, kidnapped, murdered, ransom paid, killing of entrepreneurs in broad daylight. He added that cases were registered against unknown persons for assassination despite claim by factions sometimes. Pointing out that Dimapur had experienced killing almost on a daily basis for over 10 years, he said cases were registered against unknown persons.
Therie went on to allege that extortions in government funding have increased as the state government facilitated by way of informing all the release orders from Finance department. He claimed that DDO and contractors get orders from various factions immediately for their percentage besides payment of commission to MLAs and ministers.
Also alleging malpractices in government department, Therie stated that Rural Development department forces VDB secretaries and VCCs to sign blank cheques, while government employees were also made to pay 24% of a month’s salary annually.
Claiming that the state is fully embroiled under extortion, illegal collection and corruption where no one is free from illegal collections directly or indirectly, Therie asked the government if the prevailing situations mentioned are normal.
The NPCC president has asked the state government to admit the fact about running parallel government and demand for implementation of political solution instead of defending itself. Stating that they had committed to pave the way for acceptable solution, Therie further said the GOI should be pleased to comply with their offer and implement the political solution through a neutral government.