NDPP slams NPF’s ‘uncalled’ attacks

Welcoming the State government’s decision to increase the tax levied on petrol, diesel and other lubricants and announcing its support to any initiative of the PDA government to help increase the State’s revenue, NDPP has castigated NPF for its “uncalled” attacks on chief minister Neiphiu Rio and the government over non issues and demanding rollbacks of government decisions. 

In a statement, party’s Media & Communication Committee secretary David Neikha said NPF should realise that the people had mandated NDPP-led PDA government to govern Nagaland and that the “people’s government” did not need the opposition party’s approval to make decisions.  He asked NPF to be more concerned on the direction it was heading as the “oldest regional party” could not even field a candidate in the recent by-election to 60 Pungro-Kiphire Assembly constituency as their secretary general himself pointed out “there were no takers for NPF ticket”. 

The fact that the party could not even find people willing to contest on its ticket proved how the people have lost confidence in the oldest regional party, he added.

By attacking the chief minister, NDPP said the opposition party had once again exposed its ignorance on governance and how the State government functions despite having been at the helm of affairs for 15 years. 

“Perhaps NPF is so blinded by its hunger to attack the chief minister and the PDA government that they have lost all rational thinking and living in a bubble, oblivious to what is happening around them today,” the statement added.

The ruling party asserted that it was the prerogative of any State government to levy taxes on goods and commodities as and when the need arises and, likewise, prices on petrol, diesel and lubricants had been hiked recently. 

As has been clarified by the State’s finance department, NDPP pointed out that it was not only Nagaland, but neighbouring States had also undertaken similar exercises. But the Nagaland government had fixed taxes at a lower rate compared to other North-eastern States, the party emphasised. 

Recalling that even during the DAN regime, such increase of taxes on such products was undertaken time and again, the ruling party said it was absurd on the part  of NPF to train its guns on Rio and the government over normal government functioning. 

For cash-strapped state like Nagaland where revenue generation is extremely low, such exercises taken up by the State government should in fact be welcomed, NPF emphasised.