Congress questions size of DAN ministry

Opposition Congress member C.Apok Jamir criticized the DAN-III coalition for creating a jumbo-sized government comprising  of 12 cabinet ministers, 21 parliamentary secretaries, NPF and independent legislators.

Participating in the debate on the motion to Governor’s address Monday, C.Apok said the criteria should be on who could deliver and not solely for accommodating all NPF and independent legislators.

Criticizing the logic behind, Apok reminded that the upkeep of such a jumbo-sized government involved huge expenditure particularly when the state is reeling under a severe financial crisis.

He further claimed that the unofficial figure of election expenditure by all candidates during the February 23 election was around Rs.1000 crore.

Apok said if all the candidates had sincerely adhered to the Representation of People’s Act, almost all ministers including the chief minister would be disqualified for spending way beyond the permissible limit of Rs.8 lakh each as fixed by the ECI.

He also said if election code of conduct was enforced, more than half of the officers sitting in the officers gallery would have been immediately suspended for misuse of official position for direct or indirect involvement in election.

Apok pointed out that the total election expenditure for the February 23 election was almost equal to the state budget deficit for 2012-13 and the amount  could have wiped out the deficit.

He also described the recent election as abnormal under abnormal  environment. He said this posed a challenge before the government to normalize the abnormal condition that was eating into the very vitals of Naga society- socially, economically and politically.

Apok said it also included churches, civil societies, tribal organizations, women organizations, youth frontal organizations and all the right thinking citizens of the state.

Further, he also reminded the treasury bench members that though the opposition was just a few members, yet the opposition would not be deterred from exposing  corruption.

He reiterated the Congress party’s commitment in playing the role of an effective opposition for   better governance and that it would leave no stone to expose corruption  from bureaucrats to chief minister, ministers or parliamentary secretaries, if their actions were contrary to the interests of the Naga people.

Meanwhile, Congress MLA Khekaho Assumi said MGNREGA that aimed to enhance the livelihood and security of the people of rural areas should be well implemented and no one should take “cuts or percentage” out of the funds allocated for it.

He cautioned the leader of the house as to whether the Local Area Developmental Fund (LADF) was a party fund or for local area development since in his constituency (31 Akuluto A/C) there was no developmental work taken up under LADF for many years.

Congress MLA Eshak Konyak supplemented on the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) and asked the government to evade transfer of teachers on political grounds.

He also pointed out that government has made a wrong decision on opening bank accounts of the teachers who struggles more in drawing their salaries, since that was not much applicable to the teachers in rural areas and urged the leader of the house to see the matter.

Leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Tokheho Yepthomi expressed his unhappiness on the indifferent attitude of the DAN government towards the ENPO areas questioning as to why the DAN government failed to release DUDA fund when the current fiscal year was almost closing.

He said this while seeking clarification from the Leader of the House on the Demand under DUDA Head, which was moved to vote on the closing session of the 1st session of the 12th Nagaland Assembly Session Monday.

Congress member explained that DUDA was created to uplift the backward areas of the Eastern Nagaland but questioned the credibility and sincerity on the part of the DAN government when they failed to release the fund under DUDA as the current fiscal year was about to end in few days’ time.

Yepthomi urged the government not to repeat the same in future otherwise the very purpose of creating the DUDA was defeated.

He asked the Leader of the House to release the fund well ahead of the closing of the fiscal year so that it reached the target.

Leader of the House, while admitting their inability to release the fund till now, assured the Opposition Congress Leader that in future such thing would not happen.

While moving supplementary demands for grants for 2012-13 by the chief minister on housing, CLP leader Tokeho Yepthomi sought clarification for the grant of Rs. 2 crore to the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), the leader of the house replied that the Rs. 2 crore was granted to NBCC for the construction of NBCC convention hall funded under NEC.

Taking up the grievances of the media, Jamir also pointed out that after the press and media gallery was shifted, most of the members on the floor, heads of departments could not be seen.

It may be mentioned here that the media personnel from the balcony could see only 18 members including leader of the house sitting in the treasury bench on the floor. Members in the opposition benches could not be seen at all.