Nagaland: DUCCF highlights issues within DMC

Dimapur Urban Council Chairmen Federation (DUCCF) has expressed grave concern over what it called “unfolding internal conflict” within the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC), which it said was affecting the growth of Dimapur and severely disrupting civic governance.
DUCCF through its media cell said that DMC chairman’s recent decision to reshuffle portfolios was a “necessary and well-intentioned corrective step” aimed at restoring transparency, fiscal discipline, and administrative efficiency.
It, however, said resistance to such reforms by certain councillors—particularly those entrusted with revenue-generating portfolios—raised serious questions about accountability, integrity, and the handling of public funds. Asserting that DMC’s team work should have accountability, DUCCF said opposition for the sake of opposition has unfortunately become a tradition in Nagaland politics.
However, the federation said that such conduct had no place in civic governance where people’s livelihoods and city development were at stake. DUCCF maintained that internal power struggles, factionalism, and deliberate obstruction of administrative reforms were directly responsible for the paralysis witnessed in the functioning of the DMC including non-payment of salaries to municipal employees and stagnation of developmental works in Dimapur. It said that crores of rupees were collected from revenue-generated areas, but those revenues have not proportionately reflected in the government treasury, civic development, or workers’ wages.
DUCCF said it has on record the revenues generated from revenue-generated areas during the time of the DMC before Municipal elections 2023. DUCCF expressed belief that if revenues were honestly remitted and transparently managed, Dimapur would not be facing its present pathetic civic condition.
Therefore, DUCCF has appealed to the Municipal Affairs department to initiate a thorough scrutiny and inquiry into revenue collection and remittance by concerned councillors.
The federation also demanded immediate accountability from councillors holding key portfolios and the receipt endorsed to them, whether it was a department authorized receipt of a self-styled receipt.
Further, DUCCF demanded that an audit should be functional in every financial year. DUCCF has appealed to all councillors to put an end to obstructionist politics and work for the public welfare. The federation said Dimapur deserved leadership driven by integrity and service—not internal vendetta and financial opacity.