Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com
Vol XXVIII No. 224
SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2018 Pages 12 ` 5.00
Govt in process to frame net neutrality rules: Manoj Sinha
Man Utd held in pre-season opener
Dolly Parton opens up about her career
business, Page 8
sports, Page 12
Infotainment, Page 10
Carbide-ripened mangoes in market
Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, JUL 20 (NPN): After detecting formalin-injected fish supply to the state, Food Safety on Wheels team in collaboration with Dimapur Municipal Council, Food Safety Officer, Dimapur and Naga Council Dimapur on Friday carried out on the spot testing at three wholesale fruit outlets of Dimapur and found traces of carcinogenic ripening agent carbide in mango samples. The samples were taken from the wholesale fruit shops located at Naga Bazaar/Murgi Patti Dimapur, the main wholesale centre from where fruits and vegetables are distributed to retailers to most parts of the state. The sampling was carried out in pursuance of a directive issued by Chief Medical Officer cum designated officer (FSSA) Dimapur, Dr K Vikato Kinimi. However, the authorities were yet to contemplate the further course of action, which may include seizure and disposal of fruits. It is worth mentioning that this news comes even as the formalin saga that began barely a month ago was still
Works for Dmu city portion of NH-39 begins DIMAPUR, JUL 20 (NPN): Ground works for improvement of the Dimapur city portion of NH-39 (old) from New Field Check Gate (km 106.90) to Patkai (Km 124.20) reportedly began about two weeks back. It may be mentioned that the then chief minister, TR Zeliang, unveiled the foundation stone for the project on January 17, 2018. The project sanctioned by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) would be carried out under Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode. To discuss about the project, the deputy commissioner (DC) Dimapur, Sushil Kumar Patel, convened a meeting at the conference hall of DC on July 20, 2018. At the meeting, DC appealed to the citizens of Dimapur to cooperate for the successful completion of the project. The meeting was attended by commissioner & secretary PWD (W&H). Officials from PHE and power departments and representatives of village councils along the NH-39 also attended the meeting, where all the representatives assured to extend cooperation for the successful implementation of the project.
This is it!
“I’ll have to make huge profit to pay you. So you’ll have to let me sell spurious items.” K Y M C
Food Safety on Wheels team conducting on-the-spot test of fruit samples collected in Dimapur on Friday. (NP)
doing the rounds. Vegetable samples were also collected for analysis at Kohima by the mobile laboratory. There were around 200 cartoons/crates of mangoes
at the three wholesale shops out of which samples were randomly picked to check for presence of carbide. The mobile lab team reached Dimapur at around
7 a.m. Friday, after which, three food technicians from the State Public Health Laboratory-- Bendangsenla, Vizolenuo and T Ayangba accompanied by officials from DMC, Dr Sentinungla and Dr Sentimoa Longkumer; NCD vice president (adm), K Ghokheto Chophy; and Food Safety Officer, Sendongkaba Jamir, visited the fruit wholesale centre and various vegetable shops at Naga Bazaar/Murgi Patti for spot sampling. The fruits samples tested on the spot were mangoes, apples, pomegranate, citrus limetta popularly known as mosambi, bananas, water melon, and oranges. The vegetable samples collected for analysis were green chillies, bitter gourd, small and big varieties of brinjal, two types of water gourd (known as lao locally), snake gourd, cabbage, lady finger, cucumber, tomato, potato, onion, oyster mushrooms, fresh catla fish, chilly powder, dried prawn and fish. While the seven different fruits samples were tested on the spot by placing ‘Watts Circle Paper’ on them, vegetable samples will further be analyzed at the State
Public Health Laboratory at Kohima. The team also visited New Market to test for the presence of carbide on bananas but were not able to collect sample from godowns. They were however able to collect dry fish and oyster mushrooms. Though the tests were carried out with the help of ‘Watts Circle Paper’, the results however will only be confirmed after further tests in the lab. It is also worth mentioning that according to medical studies, toxic effects of exposure to carbide may include kidney disease, asthma, anemia, emphysema, and hard metal lung disease with reduced lung function. DMC officials and the food safety officials also took down information of where wholesalers get different fruits and vegetables from. It was learnt that Dimapur imports its mangoes from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, apples are imported from Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir, watermelon is imported mainly from Bangalore and even Rajasthan, pomegranate and Mosambi is imported from Nasik, Maharashtra.
No-confidence motion against Modi govt defeated by 325-126
Spl. Correspondent & Agencies
NEW DELHI, JUL 20 (NPN): It was a no-contest from the beginning since the opposition did not have even half the number of MPs as the NDA in Lok Sabha and this was proved when the NDA government won the vote on No Confidence Motion initiated by the TDP by a huge majority of 325 votes against the motion while the combined opposition polled only 126 votes for the motion with 451 MPs present in the House. Members of the Shiv Sena, BJD and TRS were not present in the House when the voting took place. Several AIADMK members opposed the motion, in a boost to the NDA. Replying to an over 10-hour debate on the motion, Modi appealed to all parties to defeat it
Narendra Modi speaks in the Lok Sabha on ‘no-confidence motion’ on Friday. (PTI)
and accused the Congress president of “crushing” the truth and “playing with national security” by making allegations against him on the Doklam issue and by speaking of graft in the Rafale aircraft deal. Hours after Gandhi left everyone surprised by walking across to the Prime Minister’s chair to hug him, Modi sought to turn the tables on him, saying he appeared to be in a hurry to occupy his seat as he kept asking him to stand up for an embrace.“What is his hurry to come to power? Let me tell this member, it is the people who elected us. That is how we have come here,” he said. (Cont’d on p-7)
DCCI blames middlemen, multiple Woman from Nagaland Naga Accord: Parl Panel asks raped in Delhi; 2 held MHA to prepare rehab scheme taxation for inflated brick price DIMAPUR, JUL 20 (NPN): Following a report carried in Nagaland Post on the abnormal hike in price of brick in Dimapur, a joint meeting was held between the Dimapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and the Brick Field Owners Union (BFOU) on July 19. According to DCCI president Akashe Zhimomi, the meeting maintained that brick was sold was at following rates fixed by the district administration on February 3,2018 - Rs.6.50 (A class), Rs.6(B class) and Rs.5.50 (medium class ) and broken bricks at Rs.3500 to Rs.4000 per truck load. DCCI blamed the “rate racketeering” on middlemen whom it accused of selling bricks at various locations and highways after purchasing them form brick kilns. The meeting appealed to the district administration to “immediately intervene” and either close down kilns charging inflated rate or ensure bricks are sold at approved rates. DCCI also appealed to public to buy from brick kilns at approved rates and not at inflated rates from middlemen. Most tellingly, BFOU had candidly admitted to DCCI that taxation
demands from various NPGs are “overburdening the brick kilns production and the business community has no choice but to recover from the price of the bricks”. DCCI pointed out that the taxation demands by various NPGs included1.Yearly Tax,2.Coal Yearly Tax,3.Coal Per Trip,4.Sand tax,5.Vehicle Tax and 6.Labour Tax. It said all the six compounded taxes are being paid to seven(7) NPGs and which totals 42 taxes being paid by each brick kiln owner, in order sell the bricks. DCCI said such a huge burden was beyond justification and therefore appealed to the state government to look into the grievances of the BFOU. As a measure against black marketing and sale of bricks at exorbitant and inflated prices, DCCI urged all customers that if any of the brick kilns were selling bricks above rates approved by the district administration, they should contact the following mobile numbers:7005886916 or 7005526728. DCCI has warned that those kilns found selling above approved rates will face stringent action to the extent of cancellation of their permit.
NEW DELHI, JUL 20 (PTI): A 19-year-old woman from Nagaland was allegedly raped by two men in Dwarka’s Kakrola area, the police said today. The victim came in contact with one of the accused on a dating app, who asked her to meet him at his residence. Accompanied by her friend, she was picked up by duo in a car from a street near Ramphal Chowk, Sector 2 Dwarka, on Tuesday night. They took her to a flat in Kakrola Housing Complex where she was raped, a senior police officer said. The woman approached the police in the early hours on Wednesday about the incident, he said. In her statement to the police, the victim alleged that the accused raped her in the flat. The woman’s friend was not targeted by the accused. A case was registered in the matter and the accused were arrested yesterday, the officer said.
NEW DELHI, JUL 20 (AGENCIES): A parliamentary standing committee has asked the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to prepare a detailed and generous rehabilitation-cum-settlement scheme for the NSCN (I-M) cadres who will surrender as per the Naga Accord. According to The Indian Express report, the committee also recommended that the “government should, nevertheless, proactively, stay prepared for any kind of scenario that may emerge in the aftermath of the agreement, and keep the security forces and intelligence agencies on the alert.” The MHA, the report said, had informed the panel headed by senior Congress leader P Chidambaram that issues related to territorial integrity have been resolved. “…they had now reached a common understanding
Now, PDR takes on Finance dept over double drawal issue DIMAPUR, JUL 20 (NPN): State Finance department has once again come under scanner over the issue of double Drawal Authority (DA) as People for Democratic Rights (PDR) on Friday pointed out alleged financial irregularities committed by the department’s budget & monitoring cell (B&MC). In a press note, PDR media & publicity affairs alleged that two DAs-- dated November 3, 2017 and December 20, 2017 were issued by the B&MC in favour of Planning and Coordination department under demand No. 27 amounting to Rs 4 crore (Rs 2 crore each). It said that the break-up of the two DAs were an exact facsimile of each other wherein the gross, deductions and net amounts were the same for each project. PDR said that the DAs were classified under ‘Development’ head and pertained to six works as shown in the DA. (See table) As similar issue of DA for construction of a bridge over
1 2 3 4 5 6
Name of Works: Construction of soiling and metalling of road to DPO staff quarter at Dimapur Construction of RCC water reservoir tank with underground pipe connection for Planning staff quarter at Planning colony Construction of multipurpose hall at Planning colony, Kohima Construction of District Planning office complex at Kohima Construction of approach road from CM’s residence to New complex at Planning colony Construction of retaining wall at PLN/54 Total
River Tizit on Mon-Tizit road was highlighted in the media last year, PDR said that Finance department conveniently clarified that the DA was issued for second time since the amount was not drawn for the first drawal authority. In this regard, PDR questioned as to who the department was trying to take for a ride? It said that if the first DA was not drawn, then while issuing the second DA the FD, a usual practise, should have mentioned “in supersession of DA dated” etc. This was clearly a case of double
Gross
DC
Net
8.00
0.92
7.08
15.00
1.73
13.27
100.00
11.51
88.49
35.00
4.03
30.97
20.00
2.30
17.70
22.00 2.53 19.47 200.00 23.02 176.98
drawal, PDR alleged. Moreover, it said that in both the DAs, no mention was made whether it was 1st, 2nd or 3rd instalment. In another case, PDR alleged that the Finance department’s B&MC flouted all rules by releasing Rs 1 crore on March 30, 2018 in favour of Planning & Coordination department for works carried out under Evaluation department. What it demanded to know from FD was that, when the Evaluation department had its
own Demand No 44, under what norms did the FD release the DA in favour of Planning Machinery under Demand no 27 for works clearly mentioned as under Evaluation department? PDR has asked FD to clarify as to why and how DA was issued arbitrarily to Planning department when the works were under Evaluation department? It further demanded to know as to which department executed the works- Planning or Evaluation department? PDR further sought clarification from the departments over the amount (Rs. 1 crore) released for the following works under Evaluation department-construction of security fencing with gate and site development for flat type staff quarter at DEO office, Dimapur– Rs 20 lakh; construction of retaining wall/ site development/security fencing at DEO Office, Longleng – Rs 30 lakh and construction of retaining wall/security fencing/bore well for flat type staff quarter, Kohima– Rs 50 lakh.
with the Government that boundaries of the States will not be touched. Instead, some special arrangements would be made for the Nagas, wherever they are. The negotiations were going on over some symbolic issues, which are sensitive to both the government and the Nagas as well, and attempts are being made to reach a common understanding,” it said. However, the committee said that the delay in concluding talks on the Naga Accord is making the Naga groups “restless” and warned that it could “harm whatever progress” achieved so far in this direction. The committee also wondered “why there is a delay in concluding the peace talks when all other stakeholders other than the government appear to be eager to conclude it”.
BJP move privilege motion against Rahul
BJP on Friday moved a privilege motion against Congress president Rahul Gandhi for what it termed the “baseless allegations” against the government over the Rafale deal during the debate on the “no-confidence motion” initiated by the Telugu Desam Party. Prahlad Joshi, MP, sent the notice on behalf of the party. “... [H]e [Rahul] made serious, baseless and wild allegations against the government and particularly against the Prime Minister with regard to the Rafale deal,” Joshi said in a statement. (More on p-7)
NSF asks govt to re-verify doubtful NEET candidates DIMAPUR, JUL 20 (NPN): Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has appealed to the state government to keep in abeyance the counselling of selected candidates of NEET-2018 whose indigenous inhabitant certificates were doubtful. In a representation to the commissioner & secretary, Higher & Technical Education (H&TE), the NSF secretary education, Müphatho Nyuthe, and secretary social & culture, Dievi Yano, also demanded re-verification of indigenous certificate of those candidates basing on 1963 Electoral Roll. NSF on Wednesday informed that all the selected students after the acceptance of their course would have to compulsorily verify their documents in person at NSF office, Naga Club building, Kohima.
Centre to launch ‘Student Police Cadet’ programme today Spl. Correspondent
NEW DELHI, JUL 20 (NPN): In a move to bridge between the Police and the larger community through school students, Centre will be launching the ‘Student Police Cadet’ (SPC) programme on July 21. The programme will be launched by Union Home minister, Rajnath Singh. The programme seeks inculcated values and ethics in them through classes in schools and outside. The programme focuses on students of class 8 & 9 and special care has been taken to ensure that it does not lead to increase in the workload of the students. For this, Centre has released an amount of Rs.67 crores to the states for implementation of the programme. An amount of Rs.50,000 shall be earmarked for each school to be spent on educational aids, (Cont’d on p-7) training and contingency, an
official communiqué stated. The Programme shall be at first implemented in Government schools in both urban and rural areas. The programme does not have any prescribed text book nor is any exam envisaged. Only one class in a month is proposed. The programme seeks to cover broadly two kinds of topics: Crime prevention and control; and Values and ethics A Handbook has also been prepared by BPR&D for imparting instructions with the support of NCERT. The programme shall be steered by a State level committee to be headed by the Principal Secretary, Home department with the Principal Secretary, Education and Director General of Police as members. There shall be a similar committee at the district level headed by the District Magistrate with the District Inspector of Schools and Superintendent of Police as members. K Y M C