The state BJP President is repeatedly blaming the 13th Finance Commission and the UPA govt for all the financial woes faced by the state without knowing the core details of how the state govt badly faltered to adhere to the guidelines given by the 13th FC thereby landing the state into a dire financial situation. To refresh the memory of the state BJP President, the 13th FC assessment of salary payment was at ₹ 1474.85 crore for one year, but during 2012-13, a total expenditure of ₹ 2570.32 crore was incurred, ₹ 3119.73 crore for 2013-14 and over ₹ 3580 crore estimated for 2014-15.
This huge escalation that has now strangled the state exchequer was primarily because of excessive appointments over the years by the DAN govt. In 2011-12, the total number of state govt employees was at 1,10,038 which leapfrogged to 1,20,819 by 2012-13, an increase of 10,781 employees appointed within a year. By 2013-14, another 4791 employees were further appointed taking the figure to 1,25,309 serving employees. By the admission of the then Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in March 2014, the state has an excess of 54,689 employees and for the state to maintain financial stability, it needs to retrench 46,599 employees. However, instead of retrenching the employees, the DAN govt has been blatantly issuing appointments in thousands year after year bringing the state to a situation where the salary expenditure on state govt employees gobbles up 60% of the total revenue expenditure which is over and above the 35% limit set by the 13th FC.
Unlike the BJP govt which refused to sanction even a single penny for implementation of 5th RoP in 1999 when Congress was ruling the state, the UPA govt in 2010 had generously sanctioned ₹ 712 crores for implementation of 6th RoP. However, out of ₹ 712 crores, the DAN govt sanctioned only ₹ 472.55 crores to 72 departments while the balance amount of ₹ 239.45 crores was siphoned off without being accounted for.
On the withdrawal of special category funding, the central govt in 1989 had changed the funding pattern to all special category states that include Nagaland despite protests from the state govt who had termed the decision as arbitrary and financial death-knell for special category states. Therefore, the BJP instead of blaming the state Congress for doing nothing at that point of time should rather impress upon their govt in Delhi to restore the same if at all they professes to be concerned about the common people of the state.
As far as corruption is concerned, the state BJP blindly defending the DAN govt’s corrupt misdeeds of 11 years is plainly ridiculous. When the present dilapidated state of infrastructure and lack of basic amenities all over the state has marks of corruption written all over, the state BJP President refuses to see the writing on the wall. The NPCC had filed corruption charges against various leaders of DAN govt with the State Vigilance Commission and also in the High Court. However, the state govt has been using all its resources to stonewall the investigation and hearing process. Since the entire process of law has become a tedious process, it will be a matter of time when the long arm of law catches up with corrupt leaders who are gleefully basking in the glory of accumulating illegal wealth.
In accusing the Congress leaders of sharing the CSS booty like MGNREGS with the DAN govt, the state BJP is required to substantiate their charges against the Congress leaders or else the NPCC would not hesitate to take legal course of action for hurling wild allegations with a motive to defame its party leaders. The NPCC had brought out two booklets in 2013 and 2014 listing out the massive and blatant corruptions perpetrated by the DAN govt. The state BJP must remember that the DAN leaders have neither refuted the charges nor challenged the Congress for bringing out the booklets. With the passage of time and change of govt, the past misdeeds of the DAN govt will come back to haunt their leaders and justice will be finally served.
Issued by: Media Cell, NPCC
