March 3, 2017

Page 1

Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com

Vol XXVII No. 86

DIMAPUR, friday, march 3, 2017 Pages 12 ` 4.00

May faces first Brexit bill defeat

Barcelona pummel Sporting 6-1; Real held

Jats rally warns of Parliament siege

international, Page 9

sports, Page 11

national, Page 5

No room for intolerant Indian: Prez

Pranab Mukherjee (File)

KOCHI, MAR 2 (IANS): Days after a Delhi University student came under vicious attack on social media, President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday said India could afford the “intolerant”. There should be “no room in India for the intolerant Indian”, he said here while delivering the 6th K.S. Rajamony Memorial Lecture. “India has been since ancient times a bastion of free thought, speech and expression. “Our society has always been characterized by the open contestation of diverse schools of thought and debate as well as discussion. “Freedom of speech and expression is one of the most important fundamen-

Imtikumzuk is NLA speaker in-charge DIMAPUR, MAR 2 (NPN): Nagaland Governor, P.B. Acharya has appointed Imtikumzuk, deputy speaker of Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA), to take charge of duties of NLA Speaker, with immediate effect till the new Speaker was elected. Meanwhile, NLA has convened a meeting on March 9, at 11am in the Assembly Committee Room to finalise the provisional programme for the ensuing 15th session of the 12th NLA scheduled from March 21, 2017. Speaker in-charge and Business Advisory Committee chairman, Imtikumzuk, has requested BAC members to attend the meeting.

Aadhaar for booking train tickets online

NEW DELHI, MAR 2 (PTI): The railways will soon move towards Aadhaar-based online ticketing system to prevent touts from blocking a bulk of tickets, end fraudulent bookings and curb cases of impersonation. Aadhaar number has been made mandatory for senior citizens to avail concessions in train tickets from April 1. A three-month trial run for this is going on. Besides the Aadhaarbased ticketing system, the railways will move towards cashless ticketing system.

This is it!

“As finance minister we didn’t have cash. So as advisor finance, I’m working on a cashless budget.” K Y M C

tal rights guaranteed by our Constitution. There must be space for legitimate criticism and dissent,” the President said. Mukherjee voiced his pain over the incidents involving Delhi University. Students, he said, should engage in discussion rather get into a conflict mode. “Our premier institutions of higher education are the vehicles on which India has to propel itself into a knowledge society. “These temples of learning must resound with creativity and free thinking. “Those in universities must engage in reasoned discussion and debate rather than propagate a culture of unrest. It is tragic to see them caught in the vortex of violence and disquiet.” Mukherjee’ remarks came after the RSS-backed ABVP forced the cancellation of a seminar in Delhi University’s Ramjas College on February 21. The next day, ABVP activists were blamed for attacking students and teachers in the campus. Later, when university student Gurmehar Kaur launched a social media campaign against the

ABVP, she got death and rape threats, forcing her to leave Delhi for her home in Punjab. The President said he does not consider a society or State to be civilised if its citizens’ behaviour towards women is uncivilized. “When we brutalize a woman, we wound the soul of our civilization. Not only does our Constitution guarantee equal rights to women but our culture and tradition also celebrate the feminine as divine. “Protection and safety of our women and children must be a nationwide priority.” The acid test of any society is its attitude towards women and children, he said. “India should not fail this test.” Mukherjee urged leaders and political activists to listen to the people, engage with them, learn from them and respond to their needs and concerns. “Our lawmakers must never take the people for granted. They must focus on the fundamental task of law making and raising of issues of concern to the people as well as finding solutions to their problems. “No one who holds any elected of-

fice has been invited by the voters to occupy that office. Each one has gone to the voters and pleaded for their votes and support. “The trust placed by the people in the political system and those elected should not be betrayed,” Mukherjee said. Mukherjee said the time had come for collective efforts to re-discover the sense of national purpose and patriotism that alone can lift India on the road of sustained progress and prosperity. “The nation and the people must always come first.” Stating he sees a very bright future for India, Mukherjee said to applause: “Our Constitutional values, young population and entrepreneurial abilities as well as capacity for hard work provide us the fundamentals required for rapid progress as well as the building of a caring and compassionate society.” In the decade, India would see even greater progress “as we steer our nation, focused on further strengthening our open, democratic and inclusive society”, he said.

Ad hoc teachers demand conduct of suitability test Correspondent

KOHIMA, MAR 2 (NPN): Aggrieved ad hoc teachers have demanded, as assured by the state government, the suitability test for regularization of 1290 teachers should be conducted by March 2017. In the event to the government failed to conduct the test, the teachers warned they would be compelled to take up any course of action in the form of protest and the department would be solely responsible if any untoward situation arose. The aggrieved teachers told Nagaland Post that the present ad hoc teachers were appointed against the vacant state sanctioned posts five to six years back with a fixed pay of Rs. 6700 for primary teachers and Rs. 8400 for graduate teachers. They said the government had assured to let them go through suitability test for the service regularization. However, the teachers lamented that the department has not conducted the suitability test till date. They said that some of the teachers have crossed the upper age limit and some were nearing. Questioning the state government

for not applying the same yardstick to all the employees under the same category in the department, the ad hoc teachers said the present ad hoc vocational teachers like the knitting instructors, language, carpentry and drawing teachers were granted scale pay with all the service benefits unlike the main subject teachers PTs and GTs who were paid a mere fixe pay. Further, the aggrieved teachers said they were given assurance that the suitability test would be conducted in November 2016. However, they alleged that the government repeatedly failed to conduct the test even as a committee has been already set up for the suitability test since last August. The ad hoc teachers also claimed that the department, in a sudden move, had altered the cut off dates for regularization by nullifying the previous cabinet order. They alleged that the move was with an intention to “play delay tactic game” with the teachers on the pretext of including few incumbents under their group. Ad hoc teachers said this has hampered teachers who have already fulfilled the criteria and all the necessary verifications.

Mnp: Blast at NPF candidate’s house leaves 8 injured Correspondent

IMPHAL, Mar 2: A powerful IED blast went off Thursday evening at the residence of a Naga People Front (NPF) candidate in Imphal, injuring at least eight people, police said. Police suspect the hands of militant group behind the blast at the residence of K Leishiyo at Langol who is contesting the ensuing elections from Phungyar assembly segment of Ukhrul district. The bomb went off around 5.15 pm. All the injured were rushed to nearby Shija hospital. Five of them suffered serious injuries after they were hit by splinters, reports said. Following the blast, security was heightened at sensitive areas of Imphal and the outskirts. In another incident, some unknown miscreants fired some rounds of bullet at a camp of BJP at Wangkhei Angom Leikai in Imphal East under Wangkhei assembly constituency which goes to poll on Saturday (March 4).

NPF for integration of contiguous Naga areas, says Dr. Shürhozelie

Dr. Shürhozelie Lieziets

DIMAPUR, MAR 2 (NPN): Nagaland chief minister and NPF president, Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu on Thursday said NPF party was “for integration of contiguous Naga areas.” However, he said it had to be done “through a democratic and legally-correct process which may take some time.” He expressed optimism that sooner or later “integration” would be a reality. Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu said this while addressing the NPF election rally at Chandel and Ukhrul, CMO media cell stated. He also reiterated the need to have a common platform for people living in the hill districts of Manipur.

Though the nomenclature of NPF mentions “Naga”, he said “the party stands for the conglomeration of the entire people of the Hill districts of Manipur.” Dr. Liezietsu cited an instance when he was approached by some political parties from Jharkhand to join the NPF. He said the party decided to go slow for the moment. He lamented that the hill districts, having 20 legislators for the past 40 years, have failed to come together on a single platform even though they had represented different political parties. “They become strangers and this prevents them to speak out in one voice and one mind when they attend the Assembly sessions in Imphal, even though they might have the best of intentions for the overall development of their people,” he added. “We believe that by introducing the NPF in Manipur we have provided the much-needed platform to the people of these 20 constituencies,” he said.

He said this was the intention of NPF to provide a platform, so that the collective voice of the legislators can bring development; protect the interests of the hill people. Elaborating on the aims and objectives of NPF, he said that the party stands for peace and was determined to play the role of a peace-maker among the different sections of the people of the hill districts. “Not only to the different sections of the people of hill districts, but even to the different factions of the underground,’ he said, adding, unless the factions come together, they cannot achieve anything. NPF’s aim is to be the bridge between various underground groups, said Dr. Liezietsu. He further went on hit out at Manipur chief minister, O. Ibobi Singh accusing him of “playing a communal card for political gains.” He said people living in the hills and the valley has been and would continue to live together as neighbours.” (Cont’d on p-8)

NTAC exposes T.R. Zeliang, Yitachu DIMAPUR, MAR 2 (NPN): Nagaland Tribes Action Committee (NTAC) had hit out at T.R.Zeliang for his statement made at the NPF campaign in Manipur adding it was not surprised at the author of the inequitable who being hard pressed had trivialised people’s demand for him to step down on moral ground. NTAC through its media cell hit out at T.R. Zeliang for stating in his campaign speech, that he was forced to step down just because he belonged to a minority tribe. It said that after being unable to assimilate his own scheming any further, the “dislodged chief minister” spewed it out at Tamenglong on February 28 and in the process “letting the cat out of the bag” at how he had been audaciously employing all possible means to cling to the chair. Ultimately, when all these failed, NTAC said T.R. Zeliang had to step down but then passed the buck on tribal organisations on the

same line which his supporters have been second fiddling. NTAC reminded T.R.Zeliang that he was asked to step down by the people of Nagaland to own moral responsibility for the loss of lives after declaration of ULB elections under his government. NTAC said while vowing to hold ULB elections, T.R.Zeliang on January 30,2017 warned apex tribal organisations who have called for state-wide bandh that his government will conduct polls at any cost and under any circumstances and warned that security personnel would take action on the spot at those attempting to disturb the polling on February 1,2017. It was because of “such distasteful action” that the people of Nagaland deemed as the “high command” and whose “voices are supreme in democracy”, rejected T.R.Zeliang but not because he hailed form a minority tribe, said NTAC. NTAC reiterated, there is no

different categorisation among all recognised tribes of Nagaland as T.R. Zeliang “might in his wildest imaginations naively think” which even the “sympathetic nods” of people of Manipur, cannot change this fact in Nagaland. NTAC hit out saying such absurdity cannot earn respect but only by valuing life and acceptable to the people. Therefore, said NTAC, a “renegade-like legislator deposed as chief minister” under prevailing circumstances cannot be repentant but conclude that “the grapes are sour after all.” However, NTAC said the most unfortunate aspect for Zeliang was not his ousting from a position but by his “own incorrect utterance of a self-demeaning statement” which damaged his esteem and unbecoming of a statesman, especially one who had been a chief minister. Flabbergasted: NTAC said it was “flabbergasted by the blabbermouth state-

ments” by T.R.Zeliang and minister education Yitachu in Manipur that the Centre offered central forces to contain the protestors in Nagaland to hold on to power. NTAC disclosed that the actual content of the reply from the Centre to T.R. Zeliang’s official request to the union home minister on February 9,2017 (and a copy of which was available with NTAC) portrayed a “disappointingly opposite story”. According to NTAC, the Centre indicated its total disinclination to interfere in the state which had also been articulated by MoS home Kiren Rijiju to NDTV that the ongoing movement in Nagaland was “an internal issue” and ruled out any intervention since law and order was a state subject. NTAC reiterated that all the hardships that had happened to the people of Nagaland would not have taken place had T.R. Zeliang (Cont’d on p-8)

ACAUT rejects Finance deptt’s clarification NPF hits back at NPCC 2015-16 DIMAPUR, MAR 2 (NPN): Sanctioning Ministry Important CSS/projects. The figures within Total No. Not convinced by Finance com- (Central Government) brackets are amount in Lakhs. of CSS/ project missioner’s clarification that the fund released by 14th Finance 1. M/o HRD RMSA (5326.42), Mid-day meal (1073.68), Financial assistance for 13 appointment of Language Teachers (3947), SSA (8739.53), Setting Commission has been utilized up of New Polytechnics (400) Crime & Tracking Network System (723.17), Nagaland Health 5 as per State budget, ACAUT 2. M/o Finance Project (143.68) through its media cell said that 3. M/o RD MGNREGA (26,665.95), IAY (1068.22), NRDWP (3,852.58), Swachh 11 Bharat (676.31), Integrated Watershed Management (2903.90) commissioner needed a lot to 4. M/o Women & Child De- Supplemetary Nutrition Prog (953.92), Setting up of Women Helpline 17 answer on the utilization of velopment in Kohima (49.70) AYUSH Mission (873.1), Family Welfare (2,387.28), National 21 funds meant for Centrally Spon- 5.fareM/o Health & Family Wel- National Aids Control (1930.2), Trauma Care Facilities (826.2), Establishment of New Medical College (3650), Development of Park for Persons sored Schemes (CSS) projects in with Disabilities (249.56 L) the State. 3 6. M/o Home Modernisation of Police (1244.3), Border Area Development Prog (2910.37) ACAUT reiterated that the Article 275 (1)- Girls Hostel & Tribal Welfare Park (3869.34), Article 275 10 state had enough money to de- 7. M/o Tribal Affairs (1)- Eklavya Model Residential Schools at Tseminyu & Phek District (1600), Contruction of 17 Hostel for ST Girls and boys (1721.08), posit 10% State share for the salPre-matric Scholarship (851.47), VBKY-Scholarship (2646.34) ary components as Rs. 5229.56 8. M/o Urban Development AMRUT (629), Mkt Complex at Chiephobozou (55.56), Infrastructure 15 Development of Kiphire Town (221.76) & Longleng Town (45.90), Solid Crores (2015-17) released by Waste management- Water Treatment- Water Supply (1490.29), improvement of MKG Circular Road (539.40) 14th Finance Commission to 9. M/o Agriculture National Oilseed & Oil Palm Mission (120.36), Rainfed Area Develop28 the Finance Department, was ment (200), Control of Swine fever (50), National Livestock Mission (454.26), Livestock Health & Disease Control (214.854), Welfare of more than sufficient to pay for Fishermen (187.46), Inland Fisheries & Aquaculture (526.5), Post Harvest Facilities (100), National Horticulture Mission (1725) salaries of all SSA, RMSA and 10. Miscellaneous PMKSY (irrigation)- 6,145.07 L 19 Hindi teachers combined “100 M/o Arts & Culture, Consumer Pollution Abatement of Dhansiri and Diphu Rivers- 1000.00 L Affairs, Envt, Forest & Wild times over”. ACAUT stand was life, Labour, Minority Affairs, that State share of 10% for SSA Water Resources and RMSA programme at the 142 most could not be more than Rs. 20-30 crores per financial year. require release of funds directly to the grass It also reminded State government that roots or beneficiaries”. releasing State share in order to receive the However, most of the CSS funds renext instalment would not be a problem since leased by the Centre were pocketed by politimost of the schemes or projects “did not cians and bureaucrats, said ACAUT. In this

regard, ACAUT asked finance commissioner why Hindi teachers were being victimized for nine months when their salary funding pattern is 100% CSS? 6,347.38 It went on to ask the commissioner why 2015-16 wit37,523.16 nessed maximum teacher’s 11,442.95 agitations despite HRD released 17,465.68 Rs. 140.65 crores for SSA and RMSA programmes during 2015-16? ACAUT also de4,182.27 manded to know why SSA, 11,531.65 RMSA and Hindi teachers were not paid salary for the last nine months, when the Centre had 5,304.38 released Rs. 1353.52 crores for various CSS projects during the 11,126.534 financial year 2015-16? Further, ACAUT asked the commissioner to clarify on 8,039.29 the allegation that the Finance Department was deducting an “illegal 10% commission on Rs. 1,35,352.244 Lakhs every developmental fund reor 1,353.52 Crore leased to various departments” by taking advantage that all CSS amount has been kept in the Finance Department. ACAUT has also released the table of CSS funds released by the Centre 2015-16 for various projects. (See Table) Total amount released to state Finance department in Rs. Lakhs 22,388.95

DIMAPUR, MAR 2 (NPN): Hitting back at NPCC following its attack on former chief minister T.R. Zeliang over his speech at election rally in Tamenglong, the NPF Central said that Zeliang had only revealed the fact how Congress chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh has been clinging to power by using Central and State security forces available at his disposal in turning out the whole State into a war-zone like environment. In a press statement, NPF media and press bureau asked NPCC that if handling of ULB election was a fiasco, then what about the Congress party, which decided to fight the election in the first place? However, NPF alleged that the Congress withdrew from the scene quietly and maintained a deafening silence since there were no party ticket seekers. NPF also demanded that NPCC should clarify to the people on what “extenuating circumstances” compelled the Congress to act so hypocritically in the first place, and how their resolution to support and participate in the ULB elections was turned down by their high command? NPF reminded NPCC that the culture of capitulating before the high command was alien to Naga people unlike Congress party leaders, who “penitent position is their most favoured position when in Delhi”. With regard to T.R. Zeliang’s resignation as CM, NPF reiterated that he was compelled to step down for the sake of peace and tranquillity despite having numbers as outside forces resorted to violent and “morbid methods for the political benefits of a few vested interests”. Therefore, NPF asked Congress party that if it was so keen to respond to the political speeches of the NPF leaders in Manipur, they should go to Manipur and campaign for their party candidates? But unfortunately, Congress party in the State have not been invited to address even a single election campaign by their counterparts in Manipur, and therefore, they have no other option but to resort to armchair politicking, claimed NPF. K Y M C


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