While appreciating the concern raised by the Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU) over massive fund drives and donations and suggesting the student bodies to ‘work and earn’ and not solely depend on fund drives and donations from business community, the Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO) has urged the state government to ban fund raising activities including sale of food items, calendar, lottery, buffet tickets and to check price rise.
While welcoming the new government under the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NNDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) likely to assume office on March 7, NVCO president, Kezhokhoto Savi, has urged the government to continue with its earlier cabinet decision of doing away with VIP culture in Nagaland.
In order to complete the development projects such as roads and bridges, buildings, etc. in time with good quality, NVCO urged the new government especially the politicians, advisors, ministers and others not to deduct any amount by way of percentage/ commission or in the name of party-fund from developmental project funds. Besides, to avoid unnecessary extract of money from state budget/ exchequer, NVCO urged not to practice creation of ex-cadre to be associated with CMO by appointing several non-government employees, who enjoy the monthly salary scale pay in the rank of commissioner and secretary, secretary, joint secretary, deputy secretary to the government of Nagaland.
NVCO has also urged the government not to appoint any non-legislators as advisors in the rank of cabinet and minister of state. It further appealed not to re-consider the blanket ban of taxes on highways in any manner, where the state government had removed all police check-gates, pay-counters on highways except inter-state gates.
NVCO has called upon the watch dogs organisations, associations, RTI activists to be on the watch-out and not compromised with corruption.
“We are to strengthen Lokayukta in Nagaland and not to appoint corrupt and political party affiliated candidate as member,” NVCO statement read.
NVCO has also expressed concern over increasing incidents of persecution and violence against Christian community in the country, where churches were destroyed and many missionaries, pastors, church workers are hiding in jungle especially in the main land.
As the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and host of BJP leaders are likely to attend the swearing-in ceremony on March 7 to be held at Capital Cultural Centre, Kohima, NVCO urged them to have mercy upon the minority Christian community by not allowing laws which is within the state prerogative such as Freedom of Religion Act or anti-conversion laws.
