ENSF questions 50% VVIP shares under MGNREGA

Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (ENSF) has questioned the state government as to how 50% VVIP shares under (MGNREGA) Rural Development (RD) came into being that “snatched off” poor men’s share. ENSF has asked the responsible department to convene a joint and open debate with all the stakeholders on the issue.
In a press release, ENSF president Shahsha L. Menhahu and general secretary Honang M. Jessuhu said the federation was raising the question based on ENSF’s “Wheel Tour 2014 findings.” ENSF noted that none of the VDBs and VCC had expressed their happiness for such manipulation and said the federation unearthed “shocking discoveries on corruption” during ENSF Wheel Tour 2014. According to ENSF, VDB secretaries were asked to sign on a blank cheque and sometimes even after signing on the amount, the actual amount or fund was never sanctioned, said ENSF. The federation said that taking advantage of the ignorance of the common people the central guidelines were never implemented. The villagers were deprived from keeping their personal job card with them and they were unaware of their rights and privileges.
The system for demand for job were never highlighted to the villagers and it was never been practiced, alleged ENSF.
It also discovered that the fund received from the Centre at the block level get bounced back to the state directorate after hitting the bank account of the respective stakeholders.  A duplication of checked and receipt was being prepared systematically and genuinely and the sanctioned report of fund in those blocks did not tally with the developmental activities that exist in reality, said ENSF.
ENSF said it was compelled to voice out on behalf of the poor voiceless populace of Eastern Nagas where no schemes or funds under Rural Development (RD) reached the grassroots. As per the policy, 10% state share was the contribution of those 60 elected members and not from the state government’s exchequer, said ENSF. In return, half of the total fund received from the centre was set aside as the VVIP share.
ENSF questioned under which act did such VVIP share was mentioned/authorized/sanctioned. Apart from 50% shares which never got invested in the concerned blocks, the fund that reached the villages was not even 30% of the total fund received from the Centre. Investment of 10% state shares did not allow anyone from enjoying the lion’s shares that was meant for the poor populace.
While on its move in rectifying all forms of corruption, the federation also strongly condemned the burden of taxation faced by the department at every level. As per the report received, taxation was being imposed at the directorate level, taxation upon the elected members, DRDA level, Block level, Village level and finally the most common house tax from an individual.
Such taxation at every level should not be entertained upon the same schemes or fund. In this regard, the federation appealed all NPGs to restrain and abstain from such practices.
ENSF said the Churches should also play a vital role in rooting out the corruption in the state. No church should be involved in deducting the shares of development in the name of Christ. The federation said it wanted to see see that the role of the churches being extended in the field of corruption and hoardings too.
ENSF has called for abolition of VVIP share stating it should not be entertained at the expense of the poor populace.  The federation appealed to the Eastern VDB Association to initiate steps for reforming the system rather than being a loyal agent for corruption.
All provision under every central scheme should reach the villagers and implement judiciously and they should act as the bridge that channelized all source of developmental flow from the Centre. 
ENSF said the government should conduct investigation at every districts/block for mismanagement of the RD schemes/fund and also set up Special Investigation Team (SIT) in finding the details and befitting action to be initiated if so required.
ENSF has directed and empowered all the federating units to ensure that village level students’ union within the Eastern Nagaland to conduct social audit on the management of fund at the village levels with the concern authority. The federation also directed its units to set up RTI cell in their respective areas so as to maintain transparency and accountability and to check manipulation.