Dimapur, Oct. 29 (EMN): Rising People’s Party (RPP) has strongly disapproved the recent decision of the government to forgo urban local bodies (ULB) elections and instead nominate members to all the municipal bodies and town councils in the state saying the decision was not only unconstitutional and undemocratic but it also reeks of cowardice and surrendering.
“There is no such thing as power without accountability and the decision to nominate members to the ULB or the government’s high sounding 70:30 ratio for women does not convince anyone. This charade is basically to reward party faithful and cronies alike before the assembly elections of 2023,” RPP alleged.
It claimed that the ruling parties’ decision was a conscious decision to loot the ULBs, to get their hands on the so-called toll tax pie, which for the DMC is to the tune of INR 1 crore (approx) per month. It expressed apprehension that the entire ecosystem would collapse and Dimapur would suffer particularly if the nominated members or the so-called advisors managed to squeeze their way into the ULBs, particularly DMC.
“DMC will be bankrupt, unable to pay even the basic salaries of its employees, let alone manage waste. In short, the ‘Advisors’ will bankrupt DMC,” it alleged.
Claiming that those were not empty allegations, RPP reminded Neiba Kronu that on June 11, 2012, the State Vigilance Commission raided the DMC citing huge misappropriation right after the advisors had demitted office. It added that the issue was hushed up through direct intervention from upstairs.
Should the minister care, RPP urged him to find out at whose behest the corruption scam involving seizure of huge numbers of SUVs was hushed up.
RPP stated that Dimapur and the other ULBs are not political playgrounds for the ruling government to toy around with at will. Instead of trying to make backdoor entries into the ULBs, RPP has dared the ruling parties to conduct free and fair elections. It further affirmed to oppose nominated/ advisory system.
