By Imna Longchar
Dimapur (Nagaland), Sep 7: A recent report and dashboard NER SDG Index 2021-22 published by NITI AAYOG, has brought Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio government’s credibility under scanner.
In its recently published report, the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) AAYOG’s North Eastern Region District Sustainable Development Goal Index (NERDSDGI) or SDG Index has declared Nagaland as one of the “worst-performing” states in the country with five districts listed in the bottom-10.
The five districts of Nagaland in bottom-10 included Longleng (59.07), Mon (55.93), Tuensang (55.87), Zunheboto (54.53) and Kiphire (53.00).
Now the report has raised many questions on Rio’s credentials as chief minister.
According to the report, Nagaland performed poorly in six goals—No poverty, good health and well-being, industry, affordable and clean energy, sustainable cities and communities, innovation and infrastructure.
The report also indicated a mixed performance by the state in quality education, reducing inequalities, climate action and peace, justice and strong institutions which has led the experts mounting for an immediate concern.
Talking to this correspondent, a source informed that many believed Nagaland chief minister, Neiphiu Rio, for his own sake and love for “power” has been concentrating on forming an “opposition less” government in the state and at the same time he is pre-occupied to save his “chief ministership” that he and his governance has turned a “blind eye” to the development of the state.
The source said the idea of the “opposition less” government in Nagaland indicates Rio’s intention to save his own image and his failures in “blooming” the state, and moreover, the ruling party is often citing the reason of forming “opposition less” government as a step towards finding solution to the protracted Naga political turmoil.
However, many experts from the region have also expressed mixed reaction on the formation of the “opposition less” government.
As far as Nagaland’s poor show in the SDG’s index is concerned, the source said many blame it on the state’s history of insurgency which has a sizeable amount of “control” over the governance which has ultimately led to the exhilaration of corruption and lack of development in the state, but it can be justified that Rio has opted for the “opposition less” government to safeguard his position keeping the interest of the Nagas afar and play his “own cards” for another term in the “throne”.
The source further added that the Rio led government is so engrossed in filling their own “pockets” and making their own “fortune” that they had totally forgotten to heed the plight of the people thus leaving them in the state of “deprivation and hardship”.
