On providing relief to COVID patients in Nagaland

Kohima, 16th June 2021

The Naga People’s Front (NPF) fails to comprehend the logic behind the PDA government’s persistent attempt to dodge direct and pertinent questions put up by the NPF Legislature Wing and the NPF Central Office. While on the other hand, they continue to harp on the illusion that they run an accountable and transparent government. Do they feel that the questions raised by the principal opposition party deserves no answers or they do not dare answer them as that would disprove their so called ‘transparent’ government theory?

On the subject of providing relief to COVID patients who underwent treatment in COVID hospitals and also providing ex-gratia grant to the COVID related deceased family. Whereas there has been clear direction from the Ministry of Home Affairs for these purposes to utilise 60% of the grants received under State Disaster Response Fund, nothing on the ground is being implemented, yet tall claims continue to pour out in the media from the PDA government. Our neighbouring States like Assam and Meghalaya have even gone to the extent of giving additional grants to the COVID patients and to the families of the deceased expired due to COVID from State’s own resources in addition to the normal central grants received.

The second wave has been more disastrous than the first and many families lost their near and dear ones in their fight against the pandemic and yet the government of the day remains nonchalant of the plight and struggle of the people. Even on the issue of absence of Doctors and Nurses in Community Health Centres (CHC) and Primary Health Centres (PHC), the government remains mute and no positive action has been taken nor explanation given for such lapses.

We had earlier pointed out shortage of basic medical facilities in the Districts Hospitals and also the staffing pattern and the shortage of health care workers in many of the health centres. Furthermore, the act of providing machineries for hospitals but having no technical personnel on the ground to run those machines is self-defeating in itself. Immediate posting of Doctors and nurses and also technical persons to the Health Centres should be taken up on priority as without them, an empty hospital cannot help the people in their fight against this pandemic.

The PDA government has also failed to answer with clarity as to how the 20% pro-rata cut from the entire non-developmental fund has been utilised. Whereas the pro-rata cut was initially for purchase of vaccine, in their clarification it is seen that from the estimated 47.69 crores saved from 20% pro-rata cut, only 7.45 crores have been spent on procuring vaccine. On the matter of COVID cess on petroleum products, the revenue figure given at 13.64 crores is unrealistic. Not to mention the vehicles from other states passing through Nagaland, taking only the number of vehicles in the State and daily average fuel consumption, the revenue from cess should exceed 13.64 crores by more than 100 percent.

While it is not in our agenda to keep pointing fingers at the Ruling party for the sake of opposing just because we are in the opposition at the moment but we have serious concern for the general public as the present government appears to be least bothered about the wellbeing of the citizens of Nagaland; it should also not be their agenda to accumulate wealth while the people suffer in ignorance.

It is being said time and again that the ruling bench and the opposition should work in unity during this unprecedented trying times however this statement has been only an empty rhetorical statement as the opposition members have never been taken on board in any of the decision making, be it at the state level or the district level. All the tall claims of achievement and transparency made are only on paper and nothing in reality and on the ground.

Issued by,
Press Bureau,
Naga People’s Front,
Central Headquarters,
Kohima: Nagaland.