The Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF) has appealed to the state government to immediately complete 383 projects in the greater interest of Nagas. In a statement, NPRAAF claimed that the state government had spent Rs 1,380.04 crore on the 383 projects that were incomplete/ongoing for over two decades by 36 departments, adding that the Centre had sanctioned funds for implementing the projects.
According to NPRAAF, the profile of incomplete projects based on the year of sanction/year of start of these projects ranged from 2003. It mentioned that the some of the projects were 20 years old since colossal amount was sanctioned, but alleged that the government was turning blind eye and continued to remain oblivious. It insisted that the government that claimed to be championing change with the slogan “Change is coming” during election must live up to its assurance and not siphon public fund meant for development.
NPRAAF cited CAG report to claim that out of 36 defaulting departments, the major defaulting departments were PWD (R&B)– Rs 258.85 crore against 15 projects; PWD (H) – Rs 235.56 crore against 35 projects; Police Engineering– Rs 177.75 crore for 48 projects; Urban Development– Rs 96.77crore for 26 projects; Geology & Mining– Rs 48.95 crore for four projects; Veterinary and Animal Husbandry – Rs 19.3 crore for 62 projects; and Civil Administration Works Department– Rs 15.33 crore for 179 incomplete projects. The forum stated that the CAG report also revealed that from 2003-11, 63 projects were incomplete for which Rs 722.61 crore had been spent with cost over-run amounting to Rs 156.61 crore. In 2011-12, an amount of Rs 67.96 crore was spent for 19 incomplete projects, while Rs 132.86 crore had been spent for 39 ongoing projects in 2012-13 with cost over-run of Rs 25.84 crore.
Further, Rs 53.55 crore was spent in 2013-14 for 134 projects, Rs 23.98 crore in 2014-15 for 59 projects, Rs 96.18 crore in 2015-16 for 21 projects, Rs 11.98 crore in 2016-17 for 10 projects, Rs 67.48 crore in 2017-18 for 34 projects, Rs 42.78 crore in 2018-19 for nine projects and Rs 5.28 crore in 2019-20 for four projects. The forum stressed that the people must be aware of their rights and responsibilities and, as responsible citizens, raise their voice wherever necessary instead of remaining mute.