Kohima: Naga Peoples’ Front Legislature Party (NPFLP) has criticized the ruling People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) coalition Government in Nagaland for tossing all norms and conventions to the wind to divert funds under the pretext of tackling the COVID pandemic without taking concurrence to budgetary ethics and parliamentary provisions.
In a statement, NPFLP spokesperson Imkong L Imchen has stated that it can “no longer tolerate the arbitrary and dictatorial functioning of the ruling People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) Government,” led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.
Terming as illegal and unconstitutional, the NPFLP said that the confidence (Vote) of the House was bypassed, and as such, is liable to be quashed or by another superseding notification to that effect. It once again highlighted the allocation of Rs 30 crore to the Christian Institute of Health Sciences and Research (CIHSR), a private health institution, terming it “another Oligarchic action of the PDA Government.” Referring to the clarification by the Principal Director H&FW that the 176-bedded hospital being set up at CIHSR would be a makeshift COVID Hospital, the NPFLP pointed out that makeshift hospitals costing to the tune of Rs 30 crore “is happening yet again only in Nagaland under the present government dispensation.”
He pointed out that the State High Powered Committee (HPC) was not mandated to encroach upon the state plan budgetary mechanism. In this, he said the Local Area Development Programme (LADP) was initiated in 1991 by then Chief Minister Vamuzo under ‘Compact Area Development’. Since the beginning, the LADP fund was borne out of State Plan and placed under MLAs for the development of their respective constituencies. It took a strong exception to the State Government “ignoring all established norms and procedures” in its governance and sought the intervention of the State Governor, the release said.
