Threatens legal action if govt fails to act within 7-day deadline
The Dimapur District Congress Committee (DDCC) has alleged multi-crore discrepancies in Food & Civil Supplies (F&CS) Department, and served a seven-day ultimatum for the state government to take action.
DDCC general secretary Kumjimong in a statement warned that failure to respond within this period would compel the party to pursue legal action and mobilise public protests.
Following numerous public complaints, DDCC said the party had filed a Right to Information (RTI) application, whose reply revealed systemic negligence and lack of accountability in the distribution of essential commodities.
Alleging Tide-Over Rice mismanagement, DDCC mentioned that Nagaland received 38.72 lakh kg (3,872.72 MT) of Tide-Over Rice every month, totaling 4.64 crore kg annually.
Shockingly, DDCC said the F&CS department’s deputy director and assistant public information officer (APIO) admitted in the RTI reply that no utilisation certificates or records were maintained, claiming distribution was managed by “stockists” who retained receipts.
Expressing grave concern over this blatant outsourcing of responsibility, DDCC wondered how 38 lakh kg of rice vanished monthly without oversight. The party pointed out that the department’s apathy towards transparency violated the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and deprived citizens of their rightful entitlements.
Further, alleging disappearance of superior kerosene oil (SKO), DDCC mentioned that the state was allocated 12.60 lakh litre (1,260 KL) of kerosene in 2023, and from 2024, quarterly allocations rose to 404 KL. However, DDCC pointed out that the public reported “near-zero accessibility”, prompting the questions where this subsidised kerosene was being diverted, and who benefitted from this shadow allocation.
Describing PDS sugar a phantom scheme, DDCC said there was a monthly allocation of 11,315 quintals (13.578 million kg annually) under Priority Household (PHH) category, and 875 quintals (1.05 million kg annually) under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY).
Despite these allocations, the district Congress alleged no sugar reached beneficiaries, suggesting large-scale diversion to black markets.
The party said that DDCC conducted extensive surveys across villages and towns, which exposed a stark contrast between official reports and ground realities.
It pointed out that essential commodities meant for subsidised distribution were allegedly sold illegally in open markets through politically connected networks, mocking the NFSA’s principles.
Stating that public deception demanded accountability, DDCC alleged that the public had been deprived of subsidised food and fuel for years, which he termed as betrayal of trust and economic rights.
Besides demanding immediate clarification from the FCS adviser and state government, DDCC also sought a forensic audit of rice, kerosene, and sugar allocations since 2023, and criminal proceedings against officials and stockists involved in the malpractices.