What ails the Central Funded Agencies?

The District Rural Development Agencies (DRDA) has also joined the bandwagon, not for some achievement, but rather the group whose employees have not received salaries. As reported on 26th May 2016, the DRDAs with about 300 employees in all the 11 districts are yet to receive any salaries since September 2015. It is said that the department had not deposited the 10% state share since 2012 and so the centre has not released its remaining share thus disabling the agency to release the salaries. Not only the DRDA but almost all the centrally funded agencies in Nagaland have similar stories to tell of non release of salaries, whether it’s Education, Social Welfare, Health and Family welfare etc. In all the instances it has been almost due to the state’s failure to pay its share of the money. Not so long ago the talk on the street was that everyone wanted to be an employee of one of these agencies. For instance the UPA backed populist welfare schemes like NREGS meant for the rural population that guaranteed 100 days of labour became a free flow of money for the corrupt. It is seen that in most of the villages of Nagaland with a high percentage of mobile population between the villages and the towns there arose discrepancies of non resident entries as well as inflated number of workers. There were also reported cases of controversies in villages due misuse as well as conflict in handling of the NREGS funds. However that period have witnessed one of the largest numbers of villages being recognised in Nagaland. The census 2011 show a rise in the urban population during the last 10 years but conversely in the last 10 years there is an increase of rural hamlets and recognised villages. That period have also noticed urban areas being recognised into villages as it is evident from the present nearby villages in and around Dimapur Town. Urban colonies also joined the trend and wanted to be part of this great National Rural Employment Scheme and tried to get their colonies to be recognised as villages. The mad rush seems short lived with the change in guard at the Centre and the measures adopted by the new government. The funding pattern has changed with the special category removed for many of the states including Nagaland and the present government is not leaving any stone unturned to ensure that government subsidies and wages are paid directly to the beneficiaries. Aadhar is being made mandatory for all government benefits. How long will the government at the centre blindly sanction money to the states? Was a question asked by many and their questions are being answered now. It must be taken as a lesson learnt for the Nagas as well as the government of Nagaland. On the other hand though it is reported from time to time about the state not being able to give its share of the scheme there is still no agency to explain to the common man the nitty-gritties. There is still not a single watchdog in Nagaland that can detect anomalies in matters related to finance at the root. It is only the affects of the discrepancies that can be felt and only those are the issues taken up. Experts of finances in the media, NGOs, Civil Societies are required to ensure that the public can impartially monitor and also exactly understand the financial problems of the state.