The Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (ENSF) has expressed its discontentment over the allocation of funds meant for the Eastern Nagaland region. A press note issued today stated that the ENSF was shocked after going through the Government Works Progamme (2012-13), especially over the way fund allocation has been made under various departments.
“The cumulative shares of the four Eastern districts were only 16% of the total Nagaland state shares. If there is an equitable distribution of state shares fund, then each district must get about 9.2 % of shares but keeping in mind on the major chunk of investment/shares on Directorates, the percentage of annual state works plan could be compromised to at least 7-8% which needs to be allotted to each district in the state”, stated the ENSF in a press note issued by Honang M Jessuhu, General Secretary and Shahsha Menhahu, Vice President.
According to the ENSF, several irregularities and anomalies were being detected in the Works Programme (2012-13). In the Education sector, it was pointed out that from the total state share only 11% was allocated under School Education and 9% under Higher Education for the region.
Further it stated that Kiphire and Tuensang districts had been stroked off from receiving any benefits over the year under School Education and Higher Education respectively.
In the Medical, Health & Family Welfare sector, the four eastern districts hold only 5.4% of the total state share, the ENSF informed. Regarding water supply, it was pointed out that Tuensang and Kiphire has no share in this sector while Mon and Longleng hold about 7.5% of the total State share.
In the Roads & Bridges segment, it was informed that the region had received only very marginal shares of 2.2% for road construction and 9% for bridges out of the total State shares. This is despite the deplorable road condition in the region, the ENSF stated.
Regarding Youth Resource & Sports, the ENSF pointed out that the concern department had totally failed to attend or fulfill such policies and that the region had been totally exempted from any State share. On Social Security and Welfare programmes, it was lamented that the four backward districts hold only 1.5 % of the total State share.
The ENSF pointed out that about 12 major departments had not allocated any share to the four districts of Eastern Nagaland and about 10 (ten) departments had allotted its shares to only one of the four districts. While narrowing down to the district level, about 32 departments have not included any works plan for Tuensang district followed by Kiphire with 27, Longleng with 25 and Mon with 22 departments.
On the much talked about Special Package for Eastern Nagaland, it was pointed out that the introduction of the Special Package had instead “cut down or sliced off the actual shares of the four Eastern districts from the actual normal state share”.
“Had the Special Package been included, the percentage of shares for the four eastern districts would have been just 25% which is far below an average,” it stated.
The ENSF was of the view that if special attention is to be given for the development of the four Eastern districts then, the region deserves about 30-36% of the total state shares, which is about 7-8% per district.
The Federation strongly felt that the region should not be entertained with the so called special packages but rather strongly demanded for equitable allocation of 8% per share for all four backward districts of Nagaland where works/plan should be included accordingly.
The Federation further appealed to all the 20 elected members of Eastern Nagaland to be cautious and to be aware of such negligence and to voice out in the State Assembly, so that every elected member fulfills the purpose of his representation in the government on behalf of the people. The concerned department should also retrospect on its previous works plan allocation/programmes and should rectify it without delay, the ENSF demanded.
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