Kohima: A recent Comptroller and Auditor General of India report reveals a staggering accountability vacuum in Nagaland. By March 31, 2025, 30 cases involving misappropriation, defalcation, and theft sat unresolved across state departments. These cases total Rs 1,214.37 crore. Progress remains glacial.
According to the audit, 25 of these cases involving Rs 1,187.88 crore await departmental or criminal investigation. Another five cases tied up in courts involve Rs 26.49 crore. The oldest cases date back over a decade. Ten cases have lingered for more than five years, nine for five to 10 years, and one for 10 to 15 years.
The Food and Civil Supplies Department holds the largest single case, accounting for Rs 952 crore. Other significant outstanding amounts include Rs 83.31 crore across three School Education cases, Rs 28.60 crore in Water Resources, and Rs 25.82 crore in Taxes. The audit warned that such delays risk financial irregularities going undetected and are "diluting accountability."
Autonomous bodies show similar dysfunction. Forty-two annual accounts remain pending as of the 2024-25 fiscal year. The Nagaland Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board has 14 accounts missing since 2011-12. The State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the State Human Rights Commission have also failed to submit accounts since their inception.
Beyond these specific cases, the state faces wider financial mismanagement. Over 200 utilisation certificates involving Rs 365.25 crore remain pending. Additionally, 307 Abstract Contingent bills worth Rs 448.17 crore await adjustment. While the State Finance Commissioner promised intervention during a February 2026 conference, the CAG noted that required Action Taken Notes on financial reports from 2017 to 2022 remain missing.
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