NPF Wednesday accused the ruling PDA government of persistent attempt to dodge “direct and pertinent questions” put up by its Legislature Wing and central office.
NPF through its press bureau asked whether the questions raised by the principal opposition party deserved no answers or PDA did not dare answer them as that would “disprove their so called ‘transparent’ government theory?” NPF said that the PDA government continued to harp on the illusion that they run an accountable and transparent government.
Describing the traits of narcissists while answering direct questions, the NPF said: “first is, they do not think that you deserve answers, second is, they really do not care how you feel, third is, they like it when you are confused and fourth is, they want to deflect and project you in bad light.”
The opposition party alleged that the PDA government under the leadership of Neiphiu Rio was almost following those traits “as if citizens of Nagaland are dumb fools.”
NPF said the PDA has failed to respond on the subject of providing relief to COVID patients who underwent treatment in COVID hospitals and also providing ex-gratia grant to the COVID related deceased family.
According to NPF, the Home Ministry has given clear directive to utilise 60% of the grants received under State Disaster Response Fund for those purposes. However, it said that nothing on the ground was being implemented. “Yet tall claims continue to pour out in the media from the PDA government,” NPF stated. It claimed that Assam and Meghalaya have even gone to the extent of giving additional grants to the COVID patients and to the families of the COVID victims from State’s resources in addition to the normal central grants received.
Pointing out that COVID-19 second wave had been more disastrous than the first and many families lost their near and dear ones, the NPF said that the state government, however, remained “nonchalant of the plight and struggle of the people.”
It said that the government remained mute even on the issue of absence of doctors and nurses in community health centres (CHC) and primary health centres (PHC) besides the shortage of basic medical facilities in the district hospitals, staffing pattern and shortage of health care workers in many of the health centres.
NPF said that providing machineries for hospitals but having no technical personnel on the ground to run those machines was “self-defeating in itself.”
The opposition demanded immediate posting of doctors, nurses and technical persons to the health centres since an empty hospital cannot help the people in their fight against the pandemic.
Further, opposition party asserted that PDA government also failed to answer with clarity as to how the 20% pro-rata cut from the entire non-developmental fund has been utilised.
NPF said that pro-rata cut was initially for purchase of vaccine. However, NPF said that in their clarification it was seen that from the estimated Rs.47.69 crore saved from 20% pro-rata cut, only Rs.7.45 crore had been spent on procuring vaccine.
Regarding COVID cess on petroleum products, NPF said the revenue figure given at Rs.13.64 crore was unrealistic. NPF claimed that the revenue from cess should exceed Rs.13.64 crore by more than 100 percent.
NPF maintained that its agenda was not to keep pointing fingers at the ruling party for the sake of opposing just because it was in the opposition. However, the party said it has serious concern for the general public as the present government appeared “to be least bothered about the wellbeing of the citizens of Nagaland”. NPF said PDA’s agenda should also not to accumulate wealth while the people suffer in ignorance.
On the oft-repeated assertion that the ruling bench and the opposition should work in unity during this unprecedented trying times, the NPF said the assertion has, however, been only an empty rhetorical statement as the opposition members have never been taken on board in any of the decision making, be it at the state level or the district level. Opposition party alleged that all the tall claims of achievement and transparency made were only on paper and nothing in reality and on the ground.