NVCO to govt: ‘Allow’ Lokayukta to work independently

Dimapur, Feb. 4 (EMN): The most vocal of consumer rights activists in Nagaland, the Nagaland Voluntary Consumer Organisation (NVCO), is elated that the anti-corruption ombudsman Lokayukta has been established for Nagaland. But the NGO has advised the government to ‘allow Lokayukta to work independently without lack of prosecution powers.’ The NVCO issued a statement through its president Kezhokhoto Savi on Monday expressing happiness that the mechanism was now in the state. The organisation hopes that the New Year will be a year of social justice now that the Lokayukta has been instated for the state. The consumers’ organisation hoped that the citizens of Nagaland should now look up to Lokayukta to ‘work without fear in bringing social justice to the Naga society.’ Welcoming the establishment of the Lokayukta in the state, the NVCO expressed happiness and gratitude to the Nagaland government for appointing the former chief justice of Meghalaya High Court as Lokayukta to implement the Nagaland Lokayukta Act of 2017 ‘fulfilling the wishes of the people in the state.’ The organisation asked the state government to “allow Lokayukta to work independently without lack of prosecution powers...” Likewise, it asked that adequate manpower be provided ‘with proper facilities so as to enable Lokayukta to work in Nagaland as the most effective and powerful statutory body that is empowered to probe complaints of abuse of position and corruption against public servants.’ The offices including the state chief minister’s office comes under the ambit of the Lokayukta. “The main objective of Lokayukta is to curb the menace of corruption providing within the state. When any individual makes a complaint against the ‘public servant’ relating to corruption, mal-administration, favouritism, nepotism etc., the Lokayukta looks into such matters and investigates and if they find out that the allegations are true, the public servant is punished,” the consumer organisation stated. “Lokayukta is a great check on corruption, bring about transparency in the system, to make state administration machinery citizen friendly. Lokayukta protects citizen right against mal-administration, corruption, delay, inefficiency, non-transparency, abuse of position, improper conduct, etc. Lokayukta is the representative of legislature, powerful friend of citizens.” Wishing the citizens a Happy New Year, the NVCO wants to have 2019 as the year of ‘social justice,’ the press release stated. To guarantee social justice in our Naga society, our so called leaders in power especially legislators, bureaucrats and technocrats are to be honest. To bring social justice, it is as simple as eradicating corruption is eradicating poverty. ‘ The NVCO referred to reports of the Comptroller and Audit General (CAG): The audit authority placed before the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly includes 25 cases of misappropriation involving government money amounting to Rs.230.33 crore up to March 31, 2017 pertaining to 14 departments, the NVOC stated. ‘Planning & Coordination department paid INR 20.23 crore for 13 unverifiable works, six doubtful execution of projects and nine short executed projects. The department had paid INR 1.50 crore to an individual for obtaining sanction of a project from the ministry of Tribal Affairs. The department officials could not locate the 13 projects/schemes on which INR 7.11.crore had been paid...’ the NVCO alleged in the press release. Further, the NVCO alleged that the department of underdeveloped areas (Duda) made payments amounting to INR 15.94 crore without execution of works; short execution under the Border Area Development Programme(BADP). Likewise, the NVCO alleged, ‘The Fisheries department furnished utilisation certificates for funds amounting to INR 12.79 crore even before the funds were released by the state government. Five DDOs of the School Education department fraudulently withdrew INR 106.45 lakh by presenting false bills.’ Further, the organisation alleged, the District Rural Development Agency of Kiphire paid INR 2.03 crore for supply of 3,741 bundles of CGI sheets against ‘fictitious and non-existent vehicles...’ The funds amounting to INR 56.12 lakh from the funds for scholarship schemes were diverted for private use by the Technical Education department etc., the NVCO stated. Even in the past, similar CAG reports were placed before the Nagaland state legislative assembly and the Accounts Committee consisting of legislators “but with no results rather it simply get closed which was very unfortunate,” the statement alleged. But there is more to it, according to the organisation: “Besides CAG report we have high rate of corruption in a form of nepotism, favouritism, embezzlement, extortion, backdoor appointment, deduction of contractors bill by way of commission in the name of Party fund, etc., which affects infrastructural development in the state such as deplorable road condition, poor health care, pitiable condition of government buildings including schools, hospital, district offices, poor water supply, deficiency services of electricity, etc.” The consumers’ organisation added that “social Justice is the need of the hour” and that the citizens of Nagaland should now look up to Lokayukta to ‘work without fear in bringing social justice to the Naga society.’