Kohima:Nagaland Agriculture Minister and Nagaland State Agricultural Marketing Board (NSAMB) Chairman Dr. Benjongliba Aier has said that the recent raids at his private and official residences by the Vigilance Department without any permission and clarified that as Mission Director of Agriculture Technology Mission (ATM), he had no power to utilize funds received by the Mission as there were director and joint directors in the department.
In a statement, Dr. Benjongliba said the opposition’s demand for his resignation was without any basis and said whatever he has done during the past three or four years was done in ‘full knowledge of the Department Director’ and the bank account was opened by him not out of his ‘own volition’ but as demanded by the ATM so that the farmers could be helped by the department. He, however, said that ‘some vested interests’ in the Department gave false information to the Opposition party and the same was published in the local papers.
He said that within a few days, the vigilance department ‘without any second thought’ raided his residences. In this regard, Dr. Benjongliba asserted that whatever false information being furnished would be discarded as ‘God will reveal the truth in his own time.’ He also said that the recent raids by the Vigilance Department without the knowledge and sanction of the Minister in-charge, the Chief Minister himself and also the Governor must be the first of its kind in Nagaland’s history.
Terming the raids ‘wrong and uncalled for’, the minister had also asked the vigilance department if there were any case against the minister and the department had replied in the negative.
However, the next day, around thirty personnel from the department raided his residences and this clearly indicated that the Department ‘disobeyed’ the Minister in-charge.
Dr. Benjongliba said the Opposition party might try different tactics to weaken the State Government but it was resolutely united and stood together to lead the people towards peace and development. (UNI)