Dimapur: The Rising People’s Party (RPP) has launched an online signature campaign for the imposition of the President’s rule in Nagaland.
In a release on Friday, the party said it has launched an online campaign to gather at least 10,000 signatures through the online portal change.org.
It said the aim of this petition campaign is to collect the signatures and submit them to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take resolute action on the demand.
The release said on May 12, 2022, the RPP submitted a representation to the Government of India pleading for President’s rule in Nagaland on grounds of financial emergency in the state.
It added the situation has worsened a lot since then. “It is only befitting that the RPP continues to raise the issue of Presidents; rule on behalf of the suffering public,” the release said.
It said the imposition of the President’s rule in Nagaland is the only solution to the ills of fiscal mismanagement and systemic corruption plaguing the state under the present United Democratic Alliance coalition government.
The “suffering public” may contribute to a better Nagaland by signing the petition through the link https://chng.it/pKTg6bBJ, the release said.
The RPP demanded central rule on the grounds that Nagaland was declared the worst performing state under six parameters (poverty, health, affordable energy, sustainable cities, industries and infrastructure) as per the SDGI index of NITI Aayog 2021.
As per NITI Aayog 2022, it was also the worst performing state as per State Energy and Climate index (SECI). Nagaland ranks 33rd out of 35 states and UTs.
With a perpetual deficit budget, the latest being minus Rs 2212.74 crore for the year 2022-23, Nagaland has not been able to pay salaries to its 1.30 lakh employees, including teachers, police personnel and national mission employees, the RPP alleged.
It also cited fiscal irresponsibility, including fraudulent withdrawals amounting to thousands of crores in almost all the government departments, as per the latest CAG report, and worst performing state under the National Health Index 2019-20 (NITI Aayog) as some other reasons for demanding the central rule.
The party pointed out that Nagaland University is ranked “worst” in the Northeast region with scores in the the151-200 band under the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).
As per the latest NITI Aayog India Innovative Index 2021 released on July 21, 2022, Nagaland is the worst and the last ranked state among the NE and states comprising of 10 states, it said.
Saying that the Nagaland High Court building remained incomplete even after 15 years of construction, the party said Nagaland is presently the only state in India without a medical college.
It also alleged non-implementation of centrally sponsored schemes (CSS) and non-release and parking of CSS funds in civil deposits, breakdown of law and order situation with an increase in extortions, fuel adulteration and entrenchment of syndicate system in the economy and rise in international smuggling cases, particularly with Kohima and Dimapur area functioning as base of operations, in the state