Al Ngullie
Morung Express News
Dimapur | March 11
The battle lines have been drawn between the ruling Naga People’s Front-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (NPF-led DAN) government and a belligerent opposition Congress as the two sides clash in the Budget Session starting Monday, March 12 in Kohima.
The Neiphiu Rio-led DAN coalition will be presenting a new fiscal calendar – but with a pinch of fiscal salt. The ‘salt’ the NPF would be using is expected to be development in the infrastructural sector to downplay rising State deficit. On the other hand, the Congress Legislature Party is ready with more than the usual number of fiscal-related concerns – financial mismanagement and corruption revolving specifically around the recent Modernization of Police Fund scandal and corruption in the School Education department.
Except for Minister for Agriculture Dr. Chumben Murry all the Cabinet ministers in the coalition could not be reached for comment. Their contacts were switched off including leaders in the Chief Minister’s Office. CLP chief Tokheho Yepthomi gave an outline of what issues the Congress would be focusing on aside from the budgetary details in the Governor’s Address, Monday. The assembly session is scheduled for March 12-23.
Talking to The Morung Express Agriculture Minister Dr. Murry said Monday is for the Governor’s Address and debate would be in the later sessions. While he did not offer any insight into the budgetary details that the chief minister would be presenting to the legislative assembly, Dr. Murry said the session will see “highlights” of the NPF-led DAN government’s “achievements” in the current fiscal term. The CMO could not be reached for comment.
As for the opposition Congress, the session would be more than a chance to air “grievances” of the people of Nagaland – the opposition is ready with a substantial load of some of the biggest scandals that have hit the State in the past two years of the current term. The issues the Congress would be “focusing” on, according to CLP leader Yepthomi, are the alleged misuse of Rs. 18 crore in the Police department, “malpractice” in the construction and contractor sector and another, corruption in the embattled department of School Education of Nagaland.
“We will raise issue wherever there are irregularities in the Governor’s Speech; this (assembly) is a platform to ventilate the grievances of the people,” Yepthomi told The Morung Express tonight. “There are certain points we have to raise during the session and make it clear to the people the malpractices and misgovernance and that we have lost faith in the system.”
“We will be focusing on the police scam, School Education department…” Yepthomi said. “Yes, we are ready for battle,’ the Congress leader added.
