Naga Peoples Front Spokesperson Imkong L Imchen has a raised a battery of questions on the apparent creation of an advisory panel of experts by the state government constituted to provide expert advice to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) and State Executive Committee (SEC).
Imchen said that a “half-cropped notification” on the creation of expert panel suddenly appeared in a Tweet by the government spokesperson and advisor “only after a senior NPF legislator had earlier suggested inclusion of medical experts as part of the HPC.
Imchen wondered as to the reason behind constitution of an advisory panel of three experts. He asked whether any advertisement was invited and if candidates were shortlisted? He also wanted to know what process was followed for selection of the experts and the terms of reference? He demanded to know whether selection was an arbitrary decision of any individual or a selected few or a committee? Imchen demanded to know as to who finally approved the panel- the HPC or the chief minister?
Imchen pointed out that as per Point No.1 on the terms of reference, the May 13, 2021 notification mentioned that the services of the advisory panel of experts will be utilized by the SDMA/SEC for a period of one year “through virtual consultation or any other means of communication.” He asked how would this benefit the Health Care Workers (HCW) and Front Line Workers (FLWs) working at the ground level?
He asked if the panel of experts have any idea about the ground reality in the state and are they well versed in the demographic, socio-economic, patient demographic aspects of Nagaland? He also asked if the state government considered what it would do if there appeared divergent and differing opinions among the panel of experts and which view would the government choose?
Imchen also wanted to know on the remuneration of services to the panel of experts. He said the finance department had already notified pro-rata cut to the tune of 20% on travel, office expenses and motor vehicle maintenance.
He also cited the appeal made by the chief minister on April 28,2021 to the Confederation of Indian Industries for donations on the ground that state finances were over stretched.
Imchen demanded to know as to how much fund was needed by the state and how much it has so far spent and for what purposes? He also demanded to which areas were funds allotted and how much of the 20% pro-rata cut was utilized and what was the “urgent necessity” for the “so-called expert panel” which only added to the financial burden of the state?
Imchen said the ministry of home affairs had on March 29,2020 constituted 11 Empowered Groups under the DM Act 2005 at the national level to plan and implement Covid-19 response activities.He said the state government through OM dated April 6,2020 designated all Nodal Officers from the state to each of the 11 Empowered Groups as constituted by the MHA and that vide corrigendum, the state on March 17,2020 reconstituted the Special Advisory Group comprising of ten members to monitor and ensure preparedness in case of outbreak of coronavirus.
In view of these, Imchen said he demanded to know from the state government and the chief minister as to what was the logic of appointing a new panel of experts despite the fact that several officials have already been appointed/designated to various committees and groups at the state level in line with what was being done at the national level? He wanted to know if these newly appointed experts were going to formulate any new strategy and approach other than what the Health ministry and other official authorities such as–ICMR, NEGVAC and Empowered Groups were already formulating?
He said if the answer is in the affirmative then what would be the approaches? Imchen said if in the negative then the state government had not faith on its own state officials who are already appointed to various committees. He also asked whether the HPC was unable to take decision on its own despite advisories and guidelines and orders issued from time to time by the government of India?
Imchen said if the formation of the expert panel to advise HPC was done with “good intention to help the state” then why was it kept a secret since public funds would be used to pay for their services with even the chief minister admitting that the state’s financial resources were stretched? He asked as to why was there only selective, half information being released to the public by the ruling coalition which was always on a politically defensive -mode?
He slammed the tweet of the HPC spokesperson and adviser as “misleading” when the latter claimed that HPC was being advised by the panel. Imchen said on close scrutiny, it was found that the “half cropped available information” instead meant that the panel was constituted to “make expert opinion on various aspects of emergency response to Covid-19 to the SDMA and SEC and nowhere was it mentioned that the panel would advise HPC. Since the chief secretary occupies positions in the HPC, SDMA and EC, would he (CS) be the one conveying advise of these experts to the HPC? He said creation of more panels would only create more confusion and result in multiplicity of decision making besides adding burden on finance. Imchen suggested that instead, the state government should be taking much needed decisions in declaring field staff of power department at par as front line workers as they are the unsung heroes and also since power is crucial for hospitals, ICUs, oxygen concentrators etc.
In the light of all these, Imchen said it was his considered opinion that constitution of the expert panel was “unnecessary, clandestine and perhaps dubious in procedure”. He demanded that the state government urgently come clean on this matter in the interest of the public.