Nagaland Lokayukta grants prosecution sanction against 2 retd IAS officers

Kohima: Nagaland Lokayukta has granted prosecution sanction against two retired IAS officers who served in the state’s horticulture department.

The Lokayukta Nagaland granted prosecution sanction on August 4 as per Section 26 of the Nagaland Lokayukta Act against the former Agriculture Production Commissioner & Chairman of the Small famer’s Agri- Business Consortium (SFAC) Nagaland and former Managing Director SFAC (N).

An update from the DIPR said that a chargesheet has been submitted to the District & Session Judge & Special Judge, Nagaland Lokayukta on Thursday to proceed with the formal trial.

A case was registered on October 6 against the then secretary, horticulture department & managing director of Small famer’s Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC) Nagaland, who had issued the work order for the Project “Post Harvest Management of Horticulture crops in Dimapur, Peren, Mokokchung, Tuensang, Phek and Wokha” to the contractor without technical approval.

The total amount of the Project is Rs 717.90 lakh and an amount of Rs 24130 lakh was released as 1^st installment, the update said. Payment was also released to the contractor within four days after the work order was issued when there was no urgency or justification to do so.

The project was also implemented in private lands instead of the department’s land. This information is on the basis of the charges established against the Officials and the contractor.

Chargesheet was submitted to the Lokayukta, Nagaland for grant of Prosecution Sanction against the two retired IAS Officers, following which it was granted.