HT Correspondent
DIMAPUR, May 2: The Rising People’s Party on Monday slammed the Nagaland government for not releasing the scholarship money to students.
It said the scholarship money released by the central government does not belong to the state higher education department or the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) government.
“This money is meant for the students and therefore it’s unacceptable that the government should humiliate and harass the student community year after year over the issue,” the RPP said in a release.
The party asked the department concerned if the money, which rightfully belongs to the students, cannot be released unless the All Nagaland College Students Union (ANCSU) or the student community reminds it every year.
On April 30, the ANCSU served an ultimatum to the state government to disburse the scholarship money within 10 days, failing which it warned to resort to any ‘befitting means of protest’.
It wondered if the state government can comfortably build the chief minister’s residential complex in Hollywood style at 10 times the actual cost but it cannot release the few crores of scholarship money given by the central government.
When the state finance department can release Rs 30 crore as ‘additional funds’ for a ghost road project in Phek district, what is stopping the same department from releasing the few crores meant for genuine beneficiaries, the party asked.
“Has the UDA coalition fallen so low? This is called theft,” the RPP said.
The party also said apart from fleecing the innocent students, the UDA coalition has become adept in peddling lies.
“Some politicians and departmental officials are doing sleepless rounds trying to convince landowners that all Group D appointments have been banned by the high court till date because of the PIL filed by RPP,” the release said.
The RPP pointed out that in response to a PIL filed by it, the Kohima bench of Gauhati High Court on November 10, 2021, issued an order categorically allowing the state government to conduct recruitment in Group D posts.
The party informed all the landowners that there is no ban in appointment to Group D post in the state and that if any department refused the landowners their right to employment, it will be answerable to the court.
The RPP said it is also the responsibility of the additional attorney general representing the state government in the case to put a stop to this political propaganda against it.
