February 2, 2021

Page 1

Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com

Vol XXXI No. 57

DIMAPUR, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2021 Pages 12 ` 5.00

Jamshedpur edges past Odisha 1-0 sports, Page 12

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FM unveils budget to boost virus-hit economy

NEW DELHI, FEB 1 (PTI): Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday presented the Union Budget 2021 with focus on 6 pillars to energise the economy which has been battered by the Covid-19 pandemic. In her speech, Sitharaman mentioned that this year’s budget proposals rest on six pillars-- Health and Well-Being, Physical and Financial capital and infrastructure, Inclusive Development for Aspirational India, Reinvigorating Human Capital, Innovation and R&D, Minimum Government and Maximum Governance. Unlike earlier occasions, the minister stood in the second row of the Treasury benches as she read out the speech from a tablet placed on a short lectern. It was also her shortest budget speech (110-minute) in three years. The Budget for the fiscal year beginning April made no changes in personal or corporate tax rates but raised customs duties on certain auto parts, mobile phone components and solar panels in order to provide impetus to domestic manufacturing. In her third budget, Sitharaman proposed a vehicle scrappage policy, Rs 20,000 crore recapitalisation of public sector banks, divestment of some state-owned lenders and sale of nonstrategic PSUs with a view to bolstering an economy that plunged into its deepest recorded slump amid the pandemic outbreak.

LH demands action for non completion of bridge over Doyang DIMAPUR, FEB 1 (NPN): Lotha Hoho (LH) has urged upon the authorities responsible to take action against the executive engineer (R&B) Dimapur Division and the contractor for non completion of bridge over Doyang at Liphanyan under NFHR. In a statement, LH chairman Mhondamo Ovung and general secretary S Abenthung Ngullie alleged that, after erecting only the left bank abutment and two pillars, only about 30% of the work was complete, even as the EE had already paid the contractor Rs 18,49,73,074, which is 75% of the total amount. This, according to LH, amounted to fraudulent payment of bill without commensurate work. LH said it raised the issue at the January 28, 2021 meeting of the Wokha District and Development Board at Liphanyan village. (Cont’d on p-8)

This is it!

“Didi, we are resigned to the fate because many of us have resigned.” K Y M C

WHAT’S COSTLIER

WHAT’S CHEAPER

NP Graphics

‘Fake budget’ will benefit big corporates, says Oppn Opposition on Monday criticized the Narendra Modi government’s ninth Budget and termed it the “fake budget” and a procorporate move. Among the main issues raised by members of Opposition parties were privatisation of resources, lack of impetus for the agricultural sector and absence of substantial measures for middle and low income groups. Congress leader and former Finance minister, P. Chidambaram said Sitharaman deceived the poor, the working class, the migrants, the farmers, the industrial units that had been closed down permanently, and those who had lost their jobs, and there is no heart behind the budget. He dubbed the claims of increased allocation for health a “conjurer’s trick”. “She (Sitharaman) added the one-time cost of vaccination (Rs. 35,000 crore) and the Finance Commission grants amounting to Rs. 49,214 crore and included the allocations to the Department of Water and Sanitation. Shorn of these add-ons, the allocations for

Health were Rs. 72,934 crore in 2020-21 and Rs. 79,602 crore in 2021-22. Given inflation, the increase is practically nil,” he added. There has been no change in the indirect tax regime which the common man was expecting following a tough year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rahul Gandhi, Congress: Forget putting cash in the hands of people, the Modi government plans to handover India’s assets to his crony capitalist friends. Derek O’Brien, TMC: India’s first paperless budget is also a 100% visionless budget. Theme of the ‘fake budget’ is ‘sell India’. Tejashwi Yadav, RJD: Budget is not for the development of India, but for its sale. Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) : Budget is neither for the people nor for the much publicised “V-shaped revival of economy, but for a K-shaped rich becoming richer, poor poorer.” Samajwadi Party: Budget is directly, indirectly dedicated to corporate groups.

NPF seeks restraining of 7 MLAs Govt agrees to meet demands of JVC from attending Assembly session Correspondent

Correspondent

KOHIMA, FEB 1 (NPN): Gauhati High Court, Kohima bench has fixed February 8 for hearing the Interlocutory Application (IA) filed by Naga People’s Front’s (NPF) seeking the court’s intervention to restrain seven of its suspended MLAs from taking part in the forthcoming Assembly session scheduled from February 12. NPF stated that the disqualification case had been delayed and therefore the party submitted its prayer before the Court to restrain the seven legislators from entering the Assembly till the disposal of the writ petition as “the purpose of the 10th Schedule is being defeated by dilatory means.” Representatives of the respondents appeared online at a hearing on Monday afternoon, while the representative of the petitioner was personally present. Later, speaking to a section

of media persons at the high court, Supreme Court lawyer Siddharth Borgohain, representing the petitioners, referred to the delayed process on the disqualification petition on the NLA speaker’s part, and said this was supposed to be disposed within three months as per the law of the land. Expressing his dismay at the speaker’s ruling after having being kept the decision pending for almost 15 months without looking at the evidence provided on July 14, 2020, Borgohain said his client then went ahead and filed a writ petition challenging the speaker’s judgment. Borgohain claimed that the high court judge, after hearing both the parties, appreciated the substantial questioning of laws involved and took cognizance of the facts. And considering the urgency and facts, he said the court fixed February 8 for final hearing of both the interlocutory application and Writ Petition.

KO H I M A , F E B 1 (NPN): The State government has decided to meet the demands of Jotsoma Village Council (JVC) after chief minister Neiphiu Rio intervened. A meeting held under the chief minister’s chairmanship at his residential office here on Monday and attended by officials of public health engineering (PHE) and school education departments and Jotsoma village representatives took some key decisions on the issue. The meeting decided that either the State gover nment would move for creation of 12 grade IV posts and provide 12 regular jobs to villagers wherein a revenue

sharing arrangement with the department concerned would be worked out with respect to water tax, or, as per the old agreement, 18 posts of work-charged employees would be provided, if so desired by the village. While Gover nment High School (GHS) and Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS) have already been upgraded and work order for GHS has already been issued, construction of a building for GHSS would be taken up at the earliest. Consequently construction of the hostel, as demanded, would be taken up in the works programme for 20212022. Regarding constr uction of a fullsized playground at the village, Rio asked

the village authorities to earmark a suitable location and execute the project by themselves, adding that the government would provide an amount of Rs 1 crore for the purpose, of which Rs 25 lakh would be sanctioned immediately so that the project could be started at the earliest. And out of the total earmarked amount of Rs 1 crore, he said Rs 25 lakh would be set aside for construction of the rostrum while rest of the amount (Rs 75 lakh) would be used for excavation and preparation of the playground. The chief minister directed the PHE department to provide water supply to the village and ensure quality control when carrying out any construction work.

SC accepts resignation of Nagaland Lokayukta NEW DELHI, FEB 1 (PTI): Supreme Cour t Monday accepted the resignation of Nagaland Lokayukta Justice (retd) Uma Nath Singh, days after he said he was willing to step down as suggested by the apex court provided the state government or others are restrained from initiating any kind of action or “defaming him in media” based on the pending plea. A bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian said that Justice (retd) Singh should be adequately protected when he goes to Nagaland to collect his belongings. The apex court allowed him to resign from his post as the head of the ombudsman subject to certain conditions. Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the retired judge, had earlier filed in the top court a note containing willingness of Justice (retd) Singh to resign. The bench had earlier asked the senior lawyer to take instruction on the

NFHRCC meeting on Feb 5

DIMAPUR, FEB 1 (NPN): As resolved in the meeting January 30, 2021 along with the 11 Dimapur-based tribal hohos, the Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) has informed that a consultative meeting with all the elected members of the 11 tribes on the issue of the Foothills Road (now christened as Trans Nagaland Expressway) would to be held on February 5, 2021 at 11am at Hotel Japfu, Kohima. In a press release, NFHRCC assistant general secretary Chenithung Humtsoe has requested all the MLAs of the 11 Naga tribes and the tribal hohos to attend the proposed meeting.

IMA begins relay Govt issues SOP for hunger strike reopening of schools

NEW DELHI, FEB 1 (PTI): Indian Medical Association (IMA) said its members and modern medicine doctors have started a relay hunger strike from Monday at over 50 places across the country in protest against a notification by the Central Council of Indian Medicine authorising post-graduate practitioners of Ayurveda to perform general surgical procedures. IMA said the new procedure will lead to “mixopathy”. IMA national president, secretary general and other leaders will visit various places across the country to enhance the public safety movement. The strike will continue till February 14 while women doctors will lead the nationwide hunger (Cont’d on p-8) strike on February 7, it said.

NBCC reaffirms stand on liquor prohibition in State Military stages coup in ‘State govt needs to seriously implement NLTP’ DIMAPUR, FEB 1 (NPN): Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has resolved to reaffirm its stand on the issue of Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act 1989 and has impressed upon the state government to seriously and practically implement the Act. The resolution was adopted at the NBCC 22nd Triennial Convention at Baptist College, Shalom Bible Semi-

nary, Sechü-Zubza, from January 29-31, under the theme “Stronger Together” hosted by Angami Baptist Church Council (ABCC). In a communiqué, the NBCC said that the church also consequently resolved to “sincerely carry out the ministry towards the alcoholics and related problems.” A l s o, r e s o l v i n g t o “firmly assert our Christian faith in responding to any Counter Culture”, NBCC affirmed that any policies that were implemented at the cost of compromising Christian faith by organizing official events, which coin-

cide with Sunday worship, would not be entertained by the members of the church. Besides, NBCC resolved to strengthen and intensify ‘Clean Election Campaign’ so as to fight against any form of corruption. It, therefore, urged the government to bring out clean electoral reform. Further, the church also resolved to cooperate with the medical fraternity and government in the fight against containing the Covid-19 pandemic, “while remaining true to the biblical teaching which is the final authority for the Christians.” NBCC

family resolved to remain true to its theme “Stronger Together” by setting up friendship fund to help and support the associations in need. It also resolved to once again revive God’s original purpose for family (husband, wife and children) in working together in partnership, walking together and fellowshipping together. During the convention, the council revisited the ANBC – 77/339 (October 15, 1977) which, refers to “Enlisting of 10, 000 volunteers for the Great Commission Movement of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Myanmar, detains Suu Kyi

NAY PYI TAW, FEB 1 (AP): Myanmar’s military staged a coup Monday and detained senior politicians including Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi— a sharp reversal of the significant, if uneven, progress toward democracy the Southeast Asian nation has made following five decades of military rule. An announcement read on military-owned Myawaddy TV said the military would take control of the country for one year. It said (Cont’d on p-8) the seizure was necessary

possibility of Nagaland Lokayukta resigning from the post. The top court was hearing a plea filed by Nagaland government, which has raised questions over the functioning of Lokayukta in the state. Justice (retd) Singh, the former Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court, had said in his note that he “submits his resignation” due to “unpleasant circumstances and a very hostile environment” and he was unable to continue as the Chairperson Lokayukta, Nagaland, forthwith. “This court may treat this as his resignation and may pass orders accordingly,” it had said. The ombudsman had said he has “no objection” if a compromise is arrived at in a criminal case involving his one of the earlier personal security officers by a trial court at Kohima. Earlier, the top court had wondered as to how the Lokayukta of Nagaland would discharge his duties in the north-eastern state while sitting in national capital.

Aung San Suu Kyi

because the government had not acted on the military’s claims of fraud in November’s elections — in which Suu Kyi’s ruling party won a majority of the parliamentary seats up for grabs — and because it allowed the election to go ahead despite the coronavirus pandemic.

(Read more on p-9)

DIMAPUR, FEB 1 (NPN): The State government Tuesday issued the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the reopening of Schools (for classes 6 to 12) on the preventive measures to contain spread of COVID-19 and for strict compliance by all concerned throughout the State. Classes will begin from February 8. In an order issued by chief secretary J Alam, stated that SOP outlines various generic precautionary measures to be adopted in addition to specific measures to be taken to prevent spread of COVID-19 when schools resume normal functioning for students of classes 6 to 12. For more details log on to www.nagalandpost.com

Alam takes charge as chief secretary

DIMAPUR, FEB 1 (NPN): State government has notified that additional chief secretary to chief minister & development commissioner JAlam would hold the charge of chief secretary, Nagaland with immediate effect.

COVID tally 12099

DIMAPUR, FEB 1 (NPN): Nagaland on Monday recorded five new COVID-19 cases-- four in Kohima and one in Tuensang, taking the caseload to 12099. The State currently has 54 active cases, while 11,810 people recovered from the infection and 147 migrated to other states. K Y M C


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February 2, 2021 by Nagaland Post - Issuu