"Over the years the Hornbill Festival has mutated into a giant money laundering enterprise. To his credit it can be said that Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio did single-handedly put Nagaland on the world tourism map, but it has come at a huge cost", the Rising People's Party based in the state said in a press release.
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Alleging that the Hornbill Festival over the years has mutated into a "giant money laundering enterprise", the Rising People's Party (RPP) has demanded the Government of Nagaland to provide a full account of how the Rs 100 crore sanctioned for "infrastructure development" at Kisama was spent and the revenue generated from the Festival.
Citing media reports, the RPP said for the 25th edition of the Hornbill Festival the NDPP-BJP coalition sanctioned Rs 100 cr for "infrastructure development" at Kisama.
"Rs 100 crore is not a small amount. In a classic case of money laundering, the coalition Government demolished the spanking pavilion/rostrum at Kisama Heritage Village and built a new one at the highly inflated cost of Rs 52 Cr," it alleged.
The RPP stated that the NFHRCC had to issue an ultimatum to the State Government for the release of Rs 145 crore for the construction of the Foothill road.
Recently, the DUCCF had also decried the lack of roads and the crumbling infrastructure in Dimapur, it said.
Alleging that the opposition-less Government in Nagaland has "absolutely no respect for public sentiments", RPP revealed that the Town Hall at Dimapur Supermarket is being renovated at the mind-boggling amount of Rs.18 crore,
-- "an amount which could have easily built a new world class facility, while the Old Fly-Over, Dimapur, was sanctioned Rs 2 crore for renovation works.
Dimapur needs several new flyovers and better basic amenities and yet the misplaced priority of this Government and its laundering skill is astounding, it alleged.
Citing sources, RPP further alleged that both the Town Hall and the Kisama works were given to the same contractor.
"In short the entire State has become one giant money laundering ecosystem", it added.
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