DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 2 (MExN): The Rising People’s Party (RPP) has written to the Prime Minister of India appealing for President’s Rule in the State of Nagaland.
To press their appeal, the RPP informed that “3,446 people from various parts of the state, and even beyond, a good many of them young people, took part in the change.org online signature campaign for President’s Rule initiated by the party.”
The letter from the RPP said that the state is witness to systemic corruption, fiscal mismanagement, fraudulent withdrawals, misgovernance, non-development, misuse of public funds, etc., as pointed out by the CAG reports and NITI Aayog indices.
It pointed out that Nagaland is the ‘Worst Performing State’ under 6 parameters (poverty, health, affordable energy, sustainable cities, industries and infrastructure) as per the SDGI index of NITI Aayog 2021. It is also the ‘Worst Performing State’ as per State Energy and Climate index (SECI), NITI Aayog 2022. Nagaland ranks 33rd out of 35 states & UTs, the RPP said. The party further stated that there is perpetual deficit state budget with the latest being minus Rs 2212.74 Crore for the year 2022-23.
Another issue cited was the non-payment of salaries of 1,30,000 government employees, including teachers, police personnel, national mission employees, and 15,000 work-charge employees who haven’t been paid for the last two and half years.
There is also “fiscal irresponsibility as per the latest CAG report including fraudulent withdrawals amounting to thousands of Crores in almost all the government departments,” it said.
The RPP informed that Nagaland is presently the only state in India without a Medical college wherein the lone project implemented in the year 2014 is still incomplete after 9 long years. It added that Nagaland ranks as the ‘Worst Performing State’ under the National Health Index 2019-20 (NITI Aayog).
“Nagaland University is ranked as the worst in the NE region with scores in the151-200 band under National Institutional Ranking framework (NIRF),” the RPP further pointed out. It also said that the Nagaland High Court building remains incomplete even after 15 years with CBI and ED investigating the case. The party further said there is “breakdown of law & order situation with increase in extortions and entrenchment of syndicate system in the economy.”
Meanwhile, the party said that the ‘oppositionless’ UDA Government in the state was formed to bring about a ‘Naga Solution,’ and whereas all the members of the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly have expressed their desire to step down towards the fulfillment of this cherished goal. In this regard the imposition of President’s Rule can facilitate Naga settlement, it added.
Further, the party noted how the people of eastern Nagaland under the aegis of Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) have expressed the desire to have their own separate state, that is, ‘Frontier Nagaland.’
“The ENPO has also resolved that they will abstain from participation in the elections (for the 20 seats out of 60) to the 14th NLA slated for February 2023. As such, a constitutional crisis looms large, which will only accentuate the issue once the ECI issues notification for the general assembly election. In order to resolve the impasse peacefully under the requisite constitutional provisions it is requested that President’s Rule be declared in the state without delay,” the RPP urged.
