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Dimapur, June 3 (EMN): Accusing the PDA government of functioning in an arbitrary and dictatorial manner by abusing its power, the NPF legislature party (NPFLP) has sought the intervention of the Governor for a thorough NIA investigation.
NPFLP spokesperson Imkong L Imchen has particularly lashed out at the constitution of the High Powered Committee (HPC) comprising six members with the chief minister as the chairman for abusing its powers. He stated that HPC was constituted on policy matters relating to Covid-19 only as per government notification dated June 1, 2020. He, therefore, stated that HPC on Covid-19 was not mandated to encroach into the state plan budget mechanism.
Imchen also stated that the HPC under no legal circumstances has the authority to divert this voted money to a different head without routing through the legislative assembly. Terming the activity of HPC unconstitutional and illegal, Imchen stated that HPC is liable to be quashed.
Also accused the incumbent government of acting in an aristocratic manner thereby negating all laid down democratic norms and procedures, Imchen stated that HPC on Covid-19 has no authority, whatsoever, to encroach into the legislative domain and divert the voted (planned funds/LADP) into the Covid-19 expenditure.
Imchen has also termed the allocation of INR 30 crore to CIHSR, which is a private health institute, as another oligarchic action of the PDA government. He has made reference to the clarification of Dr. Neikhrielie Khimiao, principal director of Health and Family Welfare, who stated that the 176 bedded hospital being set up at CIHSR would be a makeshift Covid hospital. While makeshift hospitals are usually tantage, Imchen ridiculed that such a hospital costing to the tune of INR 30 crore is happening yet again only in Nagaland under the present government dispensation.
In this regard, the NPF legislature party has demanded through the good offices of the Governor for a thorough NIA investigation. He has termed the whole process flawed and fishy as there was no floating of tender in any form.
Also stating that all the districts in the state have the district task force on Covid-19 established for Covid related purposes, Imchen alleged that no fund allocations were made to those bodies worth mentioning. He added that all the district hospitals, community health centres, primary health centres and sub-centres were painfully neglected despite those were the nodal/ primary bodies who are actually frontline workers fighting this Covid pandemic.
He went on to allege that no proper manpower was deployed in those areas except for the high sounding nomenclature such as expert panel, high powered committee, state disaster management authority, war room etc.
Alleging that the government of the day is not functioning for all practical purposes, NPFLP has sought the intervention of the Governor so that the poor people of Nagaland do not succumb to fatalities of Covid-19.