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Dimapur, April 26 (EMN): National People’s Party (NPP) Nagaland has sought immediate intervention of the state government and its various departments towards solving public grievances on matters relating to water-logging, supply of potable water and road conditions.
NPP Nagaland has highlighted the plight of the citizens in Dimapur, particularly those who have been suffering untold hardship since the past few days due to flooding. It stated that due to a poorly managed system of drainage and lack of proper planning by the authorities, the public were made to fend for themselves with no help from the state government.
Stating that enough funds have been released for flood control, NPP Nagaland claimed that there was no such sign of the funds being properly utilised. To substantiate its claim, NPP Nagaland has referred to the reply of unstarred question No. 2587 by the minister of state in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, in Rajya Sabha for 2021-22, wherein he stated that the state of Nagaland has been allocated a total of INR 46 crores under SDRF/ SDRMF including state share while another INR 16.40 crores has been allocated as centre’s share of SDRF/ SDRMF.
It, therefore, questioned the state government for not utilising the funds for mitigating the lot of the people, especially the citizens of Dimapur. It has attributed to poor drainage system, improper planning by the district planning board and random permission for construction for flooding.
NPP Nagaland has also urged the state government to provide clean drinking water under the Jal Jeevan Mission. Referring to a PIB press release issued by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, it stated that under JJM during 2020-21, Nagaland has been allocated an amount of INR 114.09 crore out of which INR 28.52 crore has been released to the state.
It added that under 15th Finance Commission grants to rural local bodies, Nagaland has been allocated INR125 crore in 2020-21, 50% of which was mandatorily to be utilised on drinking water supply and sanitation activities. It, therefore, asked the state government whether all the funds have been utilised fully and honestly.
NPP Nagaland has also raised the issue of deplorable roads. It claimed that most of the roads including state highways especially in far flung and interior places are still lying in deplorable condition since decades. It alleged that even in Dimapur, which is the gateway of Nagaland and Manipur, most of the roads are lying neglected for many years without any signs of improvement.
“Who are to blame for this mess? What is happening to all the toll taxes collected by DMC for the maintenance of roads?” NPP Nagaland asked.
In the light of the above stated circumstances, NPP Nagaland urged the state government to address the problems immediately and be more proactive towards the well-being of its citizens and carry out its duties sincerely and without any political bias or corruption.
It further called upon all the right-thinking people including the civil society organisations, student bodies, churches and others to come together and fight for the rights of the common people.