Opposition Naga People’s Front (NPF) has asked Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to enlighten the citizens of the state about the status of five projects amounting to Rs 31.05 crore meant for sports infrastructure development instead of harping on a new sports policy.
“As the president of the Nagaland Olympic Association, Rio must also tell the citizens of Nagaland how he managed to obtain Rs 3.5 crore for conduct of the 1st Nagaland Olympics held at Dimapur in 2017 and the total expenses incurred on awards, accommodation, food, transport and so on,” the NPF press bureau in a statement said on Monday.
According to the NPF, the proposed new sports policy is “nothing short of a money-spinning policy given the past records”.
The Opposition party said Rio’s promise of a new Nagaland State Sports Policy to be implemented in the State within 100 days’ time has failed to see the dawn of the day.
“Except for his sugar-coated bragging before the public every now and then, the latest being at the closing function of the NE Zone Inter-State Badminton Championship in Dimapur on Saturday, nothing concrete has come out till date,” the release said.
The NPF also alleged that Rio’s intention to bring all sports associations and federations in the state under the Nagaland Olympic Association of which he has been the permanent president since the year 2003 is a “self-seeking initiative for wealth accumulation”.
The party raised question about the “massive price escalation” of cricket stadium at Sovima from Rs 25 crore to Rs 75 crore which it said was executed by his close kith and kin in the guise of promoting sports in the state.
The NPF further said construction of Multi-Disciplinary Sports Centre (stadium) at DC Court area in Dimapur allotted by Rio to one of his close associates commenced some 15 years back and remains incomplete till date.
The plan to set up a Sports University as per the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of his party released in May 2018 is another wealth-accumulation tactic of Rio, the Opposition party alleged.