NDPP defends Chief Minister Rio, lambasts opposition NPF

Dimapur, Nov. 19 (EMN): The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) has said that by attacking the chief minister, opposition Naga People’s Front (NPF) has once again exposed its ignorance of governance and how the state government functions despite having been at the helm of affairs for 15 years.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the party wondered if the opposition was “so blinded by its hunger to attack the chief minister and the PDA government” that it has lost all rational thinking.

“It is the prerogative of any state government to levy taxes on goods and commodities as and when the need arises and likewise, there has been recent hike in prices on petrol, diesel and lubricants. As has been clarified by the state Finance department, it is not only Nagaland, but our neighbouring states have also undertaken similar exercises wherein, the government of Nagaland has in fact fixed taxes at a lower percentage compared to the other NE states.

“The NPF may like to go back and revisit the past where they will see that even during the DAN regime, such increases on taxes on such products were undertaken time and again. Therefore, it is absurd that the opposition NPF train their guns on the chief minister and the government over normal government functioning. For cash-strapped state like Nagaland, where revenue generation is extremely low, such exercises taken up by the state government should in fact be welcomed,” read the statement.

According to the NDPP, the opposition’s attack on the chief minister and the state government over a non-issue was uncalled for.

“The opposition should realise that the people have mandated the NDPP-led PDA government to govern the state and the people’s government does not need the approval of the NPF to make its decisions. The NPF should in fact be more concerned on the direction they are heading towards since the ‘oldest regional party’ could not even field a candidate in the recent bye-elections to the 60-Pungro-Kiphire assembly constituency since, as their secretary general pointed out ‘there were no takers for the NPF ticket’.

“The fact that the Cock party cannot even find people willing to contest on their party ticket only goes on to prove how the people have lost confidence in the oldest regional party. The NDPP welcomes the decision of the government of Nagaland in increasing the tax levied on petrol, diesel and other lubricants and extend our support to any initiative of the PDA government that will help in increasing revenues for the state,” it added.