ACAUT warns state government of ‘full-blown’ agitation

Dimapur, Sep. 2 (EMN): The anti-graft movement, Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) has warned the state government of a “full-blown state-wide agitation” in the event of the government refusing to implement the demands made during the public rally organised by ACAUT on August 25 last in Dimapur.
This warning was contained in a representation submitted by ACAUT to Chief Secretary, Pankaj Kumar on September 1 last. A copy of the representation was emailed to the press on Saturday evening.
In the representation, ACAUT had listed all the seven resolutions “endorsed by 65,000 plus people” during the rally while reminding that out of those seven points, four were directed at the state government.
It urged the state government to “take cognizance” of the demands with immediate effect, “particularly, the demand to institute Nagaland Lokayukta and termination of all backdoor appointees made in total violation of 6th June 2016 government notification and High Court order dated 8th August 2016 before September is out.”
The government’s failure to pass the Nagaland Lokayuta Bill, despite having it tabled first inside the Assembly in 2015, was a serious breach of public trust, it also stated.
“In case the Nagaland government decides to convene a Special Session of the NLA and pass the Nagaland Lokayuta Bill – as per the demands of the 25th August rally – the ACAUT, while appreciating this exercise, will however not accept any watered down draft apart from the those points submitted by it to both the Standing Committee on Lokayuta on 17th August, 2016 and Chief Minister T R Zeliang in 2014 and 2015,” the representation read.
The ACAUT also stated that the state government should “not drink its own vomit” on the issue of backdoor appointments. “On 6th June, 2016, the government had notified banning backdoor appointments across all the grades which was subsequently upheld by the High Court, Kohima Bench, on 8th August, 2016. And yet, hundreds of backdoor appointments have been made by the GoN, thereby violating its own notification as well as risking contempt of court.”
Asking the state government to address the demands before the completion of its present tenure, the ACAUT warned that it was up to the government to ‘either settle the matter without causing inconveniences to the people or face full-out agitation by the people.’