A day ahead of election dates, Rs 64+ crores sanctioned for Nagaland

February 6, 2018 739 Views No Comment

Naga Republic News

Did the governments, both at the Centre and State (Nagaland), know before-hand of the date when election schedule would be announced by the Election Commission of India?

Once the ECI announces the election dates, the Model Code of Conduct comes into immediate effect and thereafter it is prohibited for the government to announce new projects, sanction grants or lay foundation stones, etc., which have the effect of influencing the voters in favour of the party in power.

In an interesting finding by The Naga Republic, the Government of India, Ministry of Rural Development released payment of Grants-in-aid amounting to Rs.64,71,51,000/- (Rupees Sixty Four Crore Seventy One Lakh Fifty One Thousand Only) to the State Government of Nagaland as Central assistance towards implementation of the MGNREGA for the financial year 2017-18.

The date of the sanction letter accessed by The Naga Republic is mentioned as January 17, 2018. Interestingly, the Election Commission of India announced election for Nagaland on January 18, 2018.

Were the Government of India and the Nagaland Government in the know of such information from the ECI?

As already reported in The Naga Republic, with the clock ticking for the likely announcement of elections in Nagaland, the State government on January 15 announced big ticket investment by Patanjali Ayurved Limited, the fast growing brand of Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev. A series of foundation stones were hurriedly laid at Punglwa, Peren District with the Chief Minister TR Zeliang himself announcing the projects taken up by Patanjali.

The projects include a Para-Medical and Nursing College, Management College, National Institute of Fashion Technology, Ayurvedic College and Engineering College. Patanjali Ayurved Limited founder Baba Ramdev along with close aide Bal Krishna Acharya were present during the programmes to announce these projects.

And just a day before election dates were announced, Nagaland State Chief Minister, TR Zeliang again on January 17 laid the foundation stone for two road projects in Dimapur, including New Field Check Gate to Zion Hospital Junction (2 lane – 4.4 km) and Zion Hospital Junction to Chumukedima (4 lane – 12.90 km) along NH 39 stretch at a contract value of Rs 509.08 crore.

Further, Zeliang informed that the 10 km road project from KMC Gate to New Reserve Police Check Gate via TCP Gate and PHQ in Kohima has also been sanctioned by the Centre at a cost of Rs 111.11 crore. He said that the 2-lane Dimapur-Kohima bypass road from Niuland – Zadima has also been sanctioned by the Centre at a cost of Rs 322 crore and works would be started soon.

Such announcements are prohibited once the model code of conduct comes into place. Did the delay in announcing the Nagaland election dates give more time to the government to announce sops and packages for the state.

Meanwhile with the latest amount sanctioned for Nagaland under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the total funds released for the current financial year (2017-18) is around Rs 884 crores.

Click on the link below for January 17, 2018 sanction letter in the possession of The Naga Republic

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