Kohima, October 26 (MExN): Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, Tokheho Yepthomi, has clarified the role of CLP in the implementation by the State government of the Special Plan Assistance (SPA) of INR 300 crores. This was given by the Government of India as Special Development Package for Eastern Nagaland in the Works Programme for 2012-13.
“The contention of the CLP is to move the SPA under revised demand of grants as it is part of Annual plan of 2012-13 and therefore cannot be brought to the house as supplementary grants, which is normally received in miscellaneous outside the annual plan given/ granted by the Planning Commission of India,” stated the press release from Yepthomi.
The CLP has questioned the proposed utilization in old and new works. “Utilization in old/ongoing works is more of clearing liability and thereby raises the question of how and why the liabilities arose in the first place,” says the CLP, further making clear to the State government that “this SPA is not for clearing liabilities but for developing infrastructures”.
CLP pointed out that the then BJP led NDA government at the Centre had sanctioned INR 69 crores in 2003-04 but was “misused by the state government without proper works on ground”. This, said the CLP, should not be repeated.
“The proposed works programme will have to be specific like the R&B department on the construction of bridges,” reiterated CLP, adding that “simply allocating to different departments without any specific work will lead to misuse of funds as it happened in the past”.
Whether the Government of India grants big or small amount for development of infrastructure in ENPO areas, the Nagaland state government should “henceforth be very specific and the amount judiciously used to ensure that the Eastern areas come at par with other areas in infrastructure development”.
