HT Correspondent
DIMAPUR, June 8: The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) on Sunday expressed outrage and concern over the alarming reports of alleged unauthorised and illegal deductions from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) funds, allocated to beneficiaries across the state, by the state rural development department.
Condemning the rural development department for what it called presiding over this deplorable abuse of power, the NPCC urged the minister of the department and the state government to take immediate and decisive action against this rampant corruption and ensure that those involved are thoroughly identified and penalised.
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In a release, the Pradesh Congress cited recent public revelations, particularly the damning expose by the Kacharigaon Phevima Village Council in this regard on June 7.
“This has once again highlighted a disturbing, long-standing pattern in the state, where significant portions of MGNREGA funds, which are intended for the welfare of the rural populace, are allegedly being extorted by officials from the department,” the release added.
NPCC further said that this insidious practice of extortion, reportedly demanded as mandatory ‘commissions’ or ‘cuts’, has become an entrenched part of the department throughout Nagaland.
“It is but a natural extension of the deep-rooted culture of corruption perpetuated by the government in the state,” the NPCC added.
“We demand accountability and justice for the rural people of Nagaland, who are being robbed of their rightful entitlements due to this criminal exploitation,” it said.
The Pradesh Congress added that these funds represent the lifeblood of rural aspirations, not only driving critical grassroots-level infrastructure development but also serving as a vital instrument to provide social security to the most marginalised communities.
