NPF is now ‘opposition-less’: Nagaland deputy CM Y Patton

Kohima: Ahead of an official declaration of an opposition-less government in the state, Nagaland deputy chief minister and BJP Legislature Party leader Y Patton, while speaking at the Assembly session on Thursday, said that opposition party Naga People’s Front (NPF) is “now” opposition-less.

Patton made the remark after legislators from the opposition bench urged Patton, who is the minister in-charge of Roads and Bridges, to conduct a field inspection of the projects undertaken by the NHIDCL.

Ahead of Patton’s remark, opposition MLA Yitachu, who raised a starred question on the construction of the Akash bridge to Kanjang via Lephory road, alleged that the state government had furnished “wrong figures” of the work in its response.

He said that the government should not furnish reports which is not based on what is happening on the ground. The government had claimed that Rs 1,018.42 lakh funding was released for the project and its expected date of completion is March 31, 2022.

In this regard, Yitachu suggested that the minister in-charge should visit the work on ground and that he would be available to join the inspection if allowed.

Supplementing to this, Leader of Opposition TR Zeliang raised concern about the construction of works undertaken by the NHIDCL along the highway projects in Kohima and Dimapur.

Zeliang said that the progress of works must be verified by the state government.

According to him, if there are no checks, the progress of works will continue at the present rate and eventually become a failure.

To check the loopholes, he said that the government must be on guard, further suggesting the minister in-charge to take inspect the areas with some legislators as NHIDCL will not the minister’s visits.

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In response, Patton said that directions have been given to the department concerned to display signboards containing the names of contractors and engineers initiating the road constructions across the state. This, he said, should be done with the hope to ignite more seriousness in executing the works.

Patton added that if the legistors of the NPF, who “are also opposition-less now”, are willing, a verification of the works can be conducted by visiting the areas concerned.

Meanwhile, as reported earlier, Zeliang had said that until all formalities for an opposition-less government is completed, NPF members will continue to maintain a status quo with him as the Leader of Opposition.