ENSF dismayed over fund allocation

After thorough analyses on the government Works Progamme (2012-13), Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (ENSF) Friday said it was shocked at the outcome of fund allocations made to the Eastern Nagaland over a year under various departments.

Stating that the cumulative shares of the four Eastern districts— Mon, Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire, were only 16% of the total state shares, ENSF pointed out that the “six major backward tribes of Nagaland-- Konyak, Phom, Sangtam, Chang, Khiamnungan and Yimchungru, constitute 29% of the state population (2011 census)”.

ENSF vice president Shahsha Menhahu and general secretary Honang M. Jessuhu in a statement further pointed out that if there was an equitable distribution of state shares fund, “then each district must get about 9.2 % of shares”.

But keeping in mind the major “junk of investment/shares on directorates”, the percentage of annual state works plan “could be compromised to at least 7-8% which needed to be allotted to each districts in the state”, ENSF stated.

The following departments (as stated) have been highlighted where ENSF said “irregularities/ anomalies were detected in the Works Programme (2012-13)”:

• School Education & Higher Education: Four backward districts hold about only 11% under School Education and only 9% under the Higher Education of the total state shares.  Kiphire and Tuensang districts were striked off from any benefits over the year under School Education and Higher Education respectively.

• Medical, Health & Family welfare: Four eastern districts hold only 5.4% of the total state share.
• Water supply: Tuensang & Kiphire has no share in this sector while Mon and Longleng hold about 7.5% of the total state share.

• Roads & Bridges: Eastern Region, well known for its deplorable road condition where accessibility is seasonal, ENSF however said, the region had received only marginal share of 2.2% for roads construction and 9% for bridges out of the total state shares.

• Youth Resource & Sports: Year of Youth empowerment and entrepreneurship had in fact glamorized the policies far and wide. However, the concern department had totally failed to attend or fulfill such policies. To our surprise the region had been totally exempted from any state shares where there is no fund allocations made in that particular year.

• Social Security and Welfare: which is especially designed for the welfare of the poor had in fact turned otherwise.

The four Eastern backward districts hold only 1.5 % of the total state shares. While sampling/analyzing 53 departments, ENSF said about 12 major departments had not allocated any share to the four Eastern districts and about 10 departments had allotted its shares to only one district.

While narrowing down to the district level, about 32 departments have not included any works plan for Tuensang district followed by Kiphire with 27, Longleng with 25 and Mon with 22 departments, ENSF stated.

Accusing the government of “tagging the region/people as Backward” instead of allocating and distributing equitable share of fund for the development of the underdeveloped areas, ENSF said the state government had “glorified their policies with various infamous packages, which was actually a sliced off portion of our due shares” adding, “such manipulation had been in practice till date ranging from job reservation to fund allocation.”

Special Package
Questioning the state government on “how special was the Special Package?”, ENSF said though it (special package) has lapsed, the introduction of the Special Package had tremendously “cut down or sliced off the actual shares of the four Eastern districts from the actual normal state share”.

Had the Special Package been included, ENSF said the percentage of shares for the four eastern districts would have been just 25%, far below average.

Pointing out that if special attention was to be given to the four Eastern districts then, the region deserves about 30-36% of the total state shares which is about 7-8% per district.

The Federation strongly felt that the region “should not be entertained with the so called special packages” but rather strongly demand for equitable allocation of 8% per shares for all four backward districts where works/plan should be included accordingly.

In this regard, ENSF appealed to all the 20 MLAs from Eastern Nagaland “to be cautious and be aware of such negligence” and to voice out in the state assembly, so that the members fulfill the purpose of representing the people.

ENSF further urged the concern departments to “retrospect on its previous works plan allocation/programmes and rectify without delay”.