Khushi-khushi virus

 Both the opposition parties-NPF as well as Congress in Nagaland- have been raising pertinent issues with regard to the handling of the covid pandemic during 2020 and also in the current second wave in 2021. It may also be recalled that a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed during May 2020 by four applicants, seeking the court’s intervention on alleged corruption in the purchases of several items under the department of health and family welfare after answers to RTI queries given by the latter were ambiguous. When the replies received from the department (H&FW) were found to be unsatisfactory, the four then decided to take the issue up with the state governor through a memorandum on May 11,2020.Till date, several PILs filed on the same subject of questionable procedures in the purchases of various items and equipment under the plea of tackling covid pandemic are yet to actually result in action that would decided whether there was wrongdoing in the entire deal or not. After the opposition parties slammed the government over focusing only on purchases and that too for manipulating the procedures and also receiving materials that were sub-standard to the point that even doctors and medical staff refused to accept them since the quality compromised on their safety. In response to the allegations made and questions raised by the opposition parties, the state government had responded through the finance department with tabulation on funds received and hoping to set at rest all such allegations and speculations. As per the table given by the finance department, the state government has spent a total of Rs.295.72 crore during 2020-21 and 2021-22. In the period 2020-21 during the first wave of the pandemic, the state, as per the finance department statement, spent a total of Rs.231.16 crore. In the second pandemic, the state government so far has spent Rs.64.56 crore. The clarification did not resolve the issue; rather it raised more questions than it sought to answer. The NPF was quick to pounce on the government explanation through the finance department. It raised several issues about how funds were diverted from other heads towards meeting expenditure on covid to the health and family welfare department. Further the NPF spokesperson Imkong L. Imchen also demanded to know how funds from the Local Area Development Programme (LADP) were cut to the extent of 25% without prior consultation with the leader of the opposition? Further, the NPF leader claimed that under the new guideline, even the remaining Rs.50 lakhs from every LADP would be utilized to strengthen health infrastructures in the districts. What the NPF legislature party sought to drive home the message, is that the state government appears to have given more focus on getting its hands on more funds under the plea of the covid pandemic as emergency use. For a small state like Nagaland spending Rs.295.72 crore within a span of one year under the plea of covid pandemic is not a small matter. It may be pointed out the more expenditure will be incurred since the second wave of the pandemic will only provide an alibi for more spending. All these exercises of garnering funds for emergency use in an emergency-like situation does seem to have the intended purpose of making money while the sun shines. This is the tragedy that people of the state suffer because they don’t want to be cured of the virus called Khushi-khushi, which has destroyed the foundation of justice and progress.