Morung Express News
Dimapur | February 10
The Indian National Congress said that the Neiphiu Rio-led government has been held hostage by the BJP. Continuing the media blitz against the BJP-NDPP combine, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Media Coordinator, Mahima Singh claimed that Rio is allowing this because the BJP is aware of his “weak spots.”
The “weak spots,” according to her, are the incomplete Nagaland High Court building and the two medical colleges in Kohima and Mon. “We have narrated the telling tale of the mysterious High Court building. We’re now here to tell the shocking saga of medical colleges in Nagaland,” she said, while stating that Rio, despite assuring to start academic session by 2022-23 has yet to make good on the assurance. She reminded that Rio made the assurance in February 2021.
She further accused Nagaland government officials of lying to the Nagaland Governor when the latter raised issue of delay. “The government officials lied to him saying that it was delayed because the funds had not been released due to the pandemic while in reality the complete amount had been paid to the state as of November 22, 2019,” she claimed. Citing a reply to an “unstarred question” put up by Nagaland Lok MP in Parliament in 2019, she added that even the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare “had responded by saying the state government has been requested to expedite the completion of this medical college.”
Meanwhile, the state government has received Rs. 242.5 cr of the centre’s total share of 292.5 cr. “Yet the plight of the trusting citizens of Nagaland meets no end,” she said.
He also hit out at the Nagaland Health Minister, S Pangnyu Phom. “What has kept him (Phom) from keeping their word to the people when they have received the entire sum from the Centre for Kohima (Medical College) and about 90 percent for Mon?” she asked.
The alleged silence of the state government, she said, is an outcome of “politics of ransom because the friends of Rio from the BJP function with that sort of mindset… they can blackmail because they know the inside story of your Chief Minister and know his weak spots like the ever pending High Court building or the medical colleges.”
While claiming that the BJP is allying with the NDPP “just for that reason,” she asked as to why Rio is not accepting his alleged “weak spots” and coming clean for the people than allow “the politics of hatred thrive over the state of Nagaland.”
On the other hand, she said the Congress is striving to rekindle hope in the people of Nagaland. “To give the people of Nagaland world class healthcare infrastructure, to expose the youth of Nagaland to employment opportunities world over, to have homegrown medical and paramedical staff, to fulfil promises, to embody accountability,” she said.
