DAN-III set NSSB in motion, says NPF

Dimapur, Aug. 3 (EMN): Accusing the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) of blowing its own trumpet following the setting up of the Nagaland Staff Selection Board (NSSB) recently, the opposition Naga People’s Front (NPF) has asked the former to understand the “genesis” of the issue.

In a statement issued on Monday, the NPF asked its rival NDPP “not go overboard, exaggerating to score some political brownie points” over the NSSB issue.

“It must be known that setting up of NSSB was put in motion by the DAN-III government under TR Zeliang then chief minister of Nagaland, during the latter part of 2017. For what’s worth, we are indeed grateful that the PDA government is taking up what we started and so it would behove you not to claim beyond what’s not your doing.

“And why speak of meritocracy, when recently, the government attempted to regularise the service of those contract employees who haven’t even put in their joining report,” read the statement.

On the charge of state-of-affairs being in chaos and unstable during the NPF regime, it recommended the NDPP to self-introspect “and spill the truth as to who engineered all the chaos and camping that took place”.

According to the NPF, it is an open secret as to who started the tussle and brought about constant disturbances in the state for personal gain and safety.

“Further, under the dynamic leadership of TR Zeliang, the last government had an opposition-less government, thus the time taken for assembly session was drastically cut short as there was consensus and unity amongst the members both within and without the floor of the Assembly. This unity and leadership brought about mega projects in the road sector to the state which was non-existent during the regime of the incumbent.

“In the Indo-Naga political issue, the DAN-III under TR Zeliang was able to bring about the historic framework agreement signed on August 3, 2015 and continued to make huge strides by bringing all the negotiating groups to the table. But the current dispensation which is old wine in new bottle cannot be expected to bring about any new development as there was no sincerity in the past and will continue to be so in the future,” the NPF claimed.

It demanded the NDPP-led PDA government to “step down from the chair on moral ground” if it “cannot deliver justice to the welfare of its people”.