Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com
Vol XXIX No. 174
DIMAPUR, SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 2019 Pages 12 ` 5.00
Nitish’s ‘Delusional’ jibe for BJP after cabinet disappointment
WC: West Indies thrash Pak by 7 wkts
US warns India on purchase of Russian S-400
national, Page 5
sports, Page 12
international, Page 9
Modi allots portfolios to new team
Shah is new HM, Rajnath gets Defence, Sitharaman Finance and Jaishankar MEA NEW DELHI, MAY 31 (PTI): BJP President Amit Shah was on Friday named the new Home Minister succeeding Rajnath Singh who was shifted to Defence in place of Nirmala Sitharaman who will be the country’s first full-time woman Finance Minister while former foreign secretary S Jaishankar, a surprise pick, got the External Affairs portfolio. A day after Narendra Modi was sworn in as Prime Minister for a second consecutive term along with 57 ministers, the portfolios were allocated that reflected a rejig of the top four Ministries-- Home, Defence, Finance and External Affairs--for a new look Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) while other portfolios largely remained with those who held them in the outgoing government. With the induction of Shah, who helped craft his party’s recent landslide Lok Sabha poll victory, and Jaishankar, both of whom are making a debut in the Central government, there
Hope Modi 2.0 will protect NE people’s identity: State BJP D I M A P U R , M AY 3 1 (NPN): Nagaland deputy chief minister and BJP Legislature Party (BLP) leader Y Patton, along with minister and BJP State president Temjen Imna Along, have expressed gratitude on behalf of all BJP legislators and karyakartas of Nagaland for inviting them to attend the historic swearingin ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his council of ministers. While congratulating Modi and his new council team, the MLAs also thanked central leadership for inducting Kiren Rijiju as Minister of State (IC) and other ministers from North East. The legislators said they hoped and believed that the Prime Minister’s vision for “SabKa Sath SabKa Vikas, Sabka Vishwas” would be strengthened and more developmental projects taken up for Nagaland as well. The legislators said they also looked forward to the new dispensation keeping the commitment to protect the interest and identity of the North East people in general and Nagaland in particular, and that the ongoing peace talk would be expedited so as to arrive at a final solution that was acceptable and honourable.
This is it!
“Vision? My only vision as minister, is to work for my leader.” K Y M C
Unemployment rate at 45-year high: govt data NEW DELHI, MAY 31 (IANS): It is now official that the country has indeed been witnessing jobless growth. Months after rejecting the claim by a leaked report that India’s unemployment rate had touched a 45-year high, the government admitted the same on Friday with the latest data showing that joblessness had indeed touched 6.1 per cent in the 12-month period from July 2017 to June 2018. The government had earlier br ushed aside a leaked official report on the country’s poor job scenario and maintained that the unemployment data was yet to be finalised. The Centre had come under fire for withholding the key macro data, with the opposition parties alleging that it was a deliberate attempt to hide its nonperformance. Moreover, some members of the Statistical Commission had earlier resigned to protest against the government decision to withhold the data. The official release has come a day after Narendra Modi took oath
as Prime Minister for the second time on Thursday in the backdrop of high public expectations on jobs and economic growth. The official data showed 7.8 per cent of all employable urban youth as being jobless during the survey period, while the percentage for the rural areas stood 5.3 per cent. The unemployment rate is defined as the percentage of persons unemployed among the total the labour force. Nearly 10 million youth join the country’s workforce every year. The data poses a huge challenge to the Modi government which has returned to power for the second term on the promise that it will set policies right and ensure faster economic growth and employment. The gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate has plunged to its lowest in the last five years to touch 5.8 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2018-19. The manufacturing sector, which provides employment to a large number of workforce joining the country, has also been largely sluggish.
No one will be allowed to disturb Students protest for TE director’s resignation 4-lane construction works: CGBU
NPGN/NNC declares ‘president’s rule’
are two new faces in the all-powerful CCS which is chaired by Prime Minister Modi. The CCS is the final decision-making body on matters related to country’s security, including defence policy and internal security. Singh and Sitharaman, who also got Corporate Affairs, continue to be in the CCS though their portfolios have been changed. Singh has been moved across the road from North Block to South Block in Raisina hill while it was the reverse direction for Sitharaman.
First Cabinet meeting: Big moves for farmers, traders
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet, in its first meeting of the new term Friday evening, made big moves for farmers and traders. The cabinet has decided to extend the PM-KISAN scheme - which promises poor farmers an annual payout of Rs. 6,000 in three instalments - to all farmers. The new move will benefit around 15 crore farmers. The Cabinet has also cleared
the pension scheme for traders. Three crore retail traders and shopkeepers will benefit from the scheme. The revised scheme envisages an estimated expenditure of Rs. 87,217.50 crore
DIMAPUR, MAY 31 (NPN): Chakhroma GB Union (CGBU) expressed disappointment at the ongoing construction of the four-lane highway between Purana Bazaar and Chümoukedima which was being hampered by some people claiming compensation. CGBU president Thepfukedo Kuotsu and general secretary Atso Gwizan, said the union has been closely observing the work and saw how certain “undesired elements” propped up time and again to create unnecessary hindrance to the ongoing work. Maintaining that the national highway fell within the Chakhroma traditional land, CGBU pointed out that when it was constructed, no compensation whatsoever was demanded as the land was given freely for development. In addition, CGBU said provisions of 75 feet on both sides from the middle of the highway, were also kept reserved for future developments. However, CGBU said with increase in the number of settlers in the area, many started encroaching upon the highway and they were now demanding compensation by claiming to be landowners. The Union reiterated that no in-
in 2019-20. The previous government had estimated annual expenditure of Rs. 75,000 crore in the earlier version of the scheme. The Centre had announced the Pradhan Man-
dividual or organisation, claiming to be landowners, would be allowed to disturb the development work of the area since there was no other landowner except the traditional landowners. CGBU said the traditional owners had freely given their land to the government as it was not “our custom to block roadways and waterways from passing our land”. Further, the Union said since those later settlers who were now demanding compensation had encroached upon the portions of land already been given to the government, there was no question of paying compensation to the encroachers on reserved land. CGBU also fully endorsed the May 7 resolution adopted at the meeting between Chümoukedima area gaon burahs and village council chairmen with Chümoukedima EAC. The Union said that when such a hard-earned development project was coming to “our land, we cannot allow few self-centred individuals” forming a union to snatch away this opportunity. CGBU said if the opportunity was missed, it would never come back and so every right-thinking Naga should support the timely and satisfactory completion of the work. (Cont’d on p-8)
tri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme in the interim Budget 201920. Originally under this programme, Rs. 6,000 were to be paid to 12 crore small and marginal farmers holding cultivable land of up to two hectares per year in three instalments, through Direct Bank Transfer. PM-KISAN while being announced in the budget in February , was introduced - unusually - as a retrospective scheme, starting from December 1, 2018, which the government could use to argue makes it an ongoing scheme. The first installment was handed over to farmers in February. The Cabinet also approved a new central sector scheme called the Pradhan
Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana which is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme for small and marginal farmers across the country. “The central government will contribute to the pension fund in equal amount as contributed by the farmer,” Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar announced after the cabinet meeting. “The scheme provides income support to small and marginal landholder farmer families with cultivable land holding up to 2 hectare, across the country, by way of Rs. 6,000 per year. The ongoing scheme aims to cover around 12.5 crore SMF families,” he added.
ANCSU president Katho Awomi addressing the students outside TE directorate. (NP)
Correspondent
KOHIMA, MAY 31 (NPN): Following expiry of the fiveday ultimatum served on technical education (TE) director Arjun Singh to resign, hundreds of students from various colleges in Kohima, under the banner of All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU) staged a protest outside the directorate here Friday, reiterating the demand. Addressing the student protestors, ANCSU president Katho Awomi reiterated that ANCSU would not relent till the director T.E.
resigned or reveal the names of corrupt officials involved in the scholarship scam. Awomi demanded that those involved be punished and warned that unless the government responded positively, the situation would worsen. He disclosed that in the letter written by the director TE to ANCSU, the official had admitted that the amount of Rs 1.32 crore, was temporarily adjusted for unforeseen expenditure on exigency ground from the scholarship savings. He said the amount had been fully recovered fully by depositing
it back to the government account. The ANCSU president alleged of variation in the amount and expressed surprise how it could happen. He referred to the letter of OSD & DDO of the directorate TE to senior treasury officer, Kohima (N) seeking refund/deposit of the cheque amounting to Rs 2.12 crore. He said this was savings from 2013-14 onwards against the department’s account (no. 1041050017790) in United Bank of India, Kohima branch.
D I M A P U R , M AY 3 1 (NPN): NPGN/NNC (NA) has informed that its president T Ovung has dissolved the “ministry (council of kiloners) and all political wings” and imposed “president’s rule” for a period of six months with effect from May 31, 2019. NPGN/ NNC (NA) said the imposition was necessitated due to “so many major crisis within the government”. It stated that the ministry would be “reformed after the expiry of the said period.”
Parl session from June 17 to July 26
NEW DELHI, MAY 31 (AGENCIES): The first Parliament session of the 17th Lok Sabha will be held from June 17 till July 26. President Ram Nath Kovind will address the joint sitting of the two houses of Parliament on the first day of the session. Maneka Gandhi, who was appointed the (Cont’d on p-8) protem-speaker on Thursday, will administer the oath of office to all the newly elected lawmaker, before the speaker’s election on June 19. Following the appointment of the speaker, both the responsible group that houses will take up the mopublic was against such in- tion of thanks on which PM Modi will give his reply. human act in their area. Also, speaking at the KASSMSA to lift rally, Mopong Hongkong ban on sand Students’ Union (MHSU) president, L Kholee ex- D I M A P U R , M AY 3 1 pressed dismay over the (NPN): Karbi Anglong Sand incident and termed it as “an & Stone Mahaldar and Supof foolishness.” He said that pliers (KASSMSA) Friday any political issues/struggles informed that temporary cannot be solved through ban on extraction and supply violence. “It can only be of sand would be lifted from solved by negotiation and June 219. In a press release, in the pursuance of peace KASSMSA acting president process,” Kholee said. Detward Bey has informed Others who spoke in- that all business activities cluded representatives from including transaction would Konyak Nyupuh Sheko resume immediately from Khong, GBs Union, Chair- KASSMSA office. Expressman Union Mopong Hong- ing gratitude to all mahalkong. In their speeches, the dars, suppliers, department representatives of organiza- and all responsible persons tions expressed resentment for extending cooperation, over the incident. The rally it appealed all to follow the was attended by around 900 norms and regulations for participants mostly schools the greater interest of the students and womenfolk. business community.
Nagaland observes World No Tobacco Day Mopong, Hongkong rally D I M A P U R , M AY 3 1 (NPN): Nagaland Friday joined the rest of the world in commemorating the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD). Celebrated every year on May 31, WNTD aims to raise awareness on the harmful and deadly effects of tobacco use and to discourage the use of tobacco in any form. The theme of World No Tobacco Day 2019 is “Tobacco and Lung health” To mark the occasion, the Department of Health & Family Welfare (H&FW) and District Tobacco Control Cell Kohima organized a programme at DBT Hall, NHAK, Kohima Friday. Speaking as special guest, Mission Director (NHM) H&FW Department, Dr. Kevichüsa Medikhru said Nagaland was ranked as one of the highest tobacco users in the country. He congratulated the National Tobacco Control Programme team
against May 25 ambush
Officials with the winners of Inter-School collage making competition at DBT Hall, NHAK Kohima. (DIPR)
for the achievements made so far in creating awareness on the harmful effects of tobacco in the state. Speaking on the theme “Tobacco & Lung Health”, District Tuberculosis Officer, Dr. Asünü Thong highlighted on the worldwide statistics of death caused by tobacco.
Dr. Thong pointed out that 7-8 million die from tobacco per year. Out of 8 million, one million die from second hand smoke. Asst. Prof. Mt. Olive College Kohima, Lotoli Kiba shared her college success story as tobacco-free college. Hatdeivah Haokip
from Little Flower Higher Secondary School gave a short message on ‘Voice of Children’. Winners of inter-school collage making competition held on May 24, 2019 in commemoration of “World No Tobacco Day” were awarded with prizes on the occasion.
D I M A P U R , M AY 3 1 (NPN): Public of Mopong Hongkong Range Friday took out a peace rally at Mopong Hqs to protest against May 25 ambush that took place between Changlangshu and Ukha villages in Mon district, wherein two Assam Rifles personnel were killed and four others injured. The peace rally, which covered 11 villages and culminated at Mopong EAC HQ, reaffirmed the December 12, 2017 ENPO resolution that declared ENPO jurisdiction as peace zone. Delivering short speech at the rally, Konyak Union (KU) Mopong unit president, A Yangkon, condemned the act of violence that disrupted the peaceful atmosphere of the area. He said the objective of taking out peace rally was to convey a strong message to
K Y M C