Dimapur: The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) on Sunday expressed outrage and concern over the alarming reports of alleged unauthorised and illegal deductions from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) funds, allocated to beneficiaries across the state, by the state rural development department.
The NPCC condemned the rural development department for presiding over this deplorable abuse of power.
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It urged the department’s minister and the state government to take immediate and decisive action against this rampant corruption and ensure they thoroughly identify and penalize those involved.
In a release, the Pradesh Congress cited recent public revelations, particularly the damning expose by the Kacharigaon Phevima Village Council in this regard on June 7.
The Pradesh Congress said this has once again highlighted a disturbing, long-standing pattern in the state, where department officials are allegedly extorting significant portions of MGNREGA funds intended for the welfare of the rural populace.
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“This insidious practice of extortion, reportedly demanded as mandatory ‘commissions’ or ‘cuts’, has become an entrenched part of the department throughout Nagaland.
“It is but a natural extension of the deep-rooted culture of corruption perpetuated by the government in the state,” the NPCC said.
“We demand accountability and justice for the rural people of Nagaland, as this criminal exploitation is robbing them of their rightful entitlements,” it said.
The Pradesh Congress added that these funds represent the lifeblood of rural aspirations, not only driving critical grassroots-level infrastructure development but also serving as a vital instrument to provide social security to the most marginalised communities.