Nagaland Post This issue 12 + 4 = 16 Pages @ ` 5.00
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Vol XXIX No. 337
DIMAPUR, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019 Pages 16 ` 5.00
JNU student protestors clash with police
Liverpool stun City to go 8 points clear
War will continue against Imran’s govt: JUI-F chief
NATIONAL, PAGE 12
SPORTS, PAGE 15
INTERNATIONAL, PAGE 13
After Sena, Gov invites NCP to form govt Thackeray but remained non-committal. She also had a telephonic conversation with NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who had met her in Delhi last week. If the three parties come together, they will have a comfortable majority in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly, with the Sena securing 56 seats, the NCP, 54, and the Congress, 44, in last month’s elections. Monday saw hectic consultations through the day — first Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray met in Mumbai at Taj Lands End in the afternoon, then NCP’s Milind Narvekar and Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha MP Anil Desai met Congress leader Ahmed Patel in Delhi. After the BJP declined to stake claim to form the government in Maharashtra despite being the singlelargest party, the governor invited the Shiv Sena to prove majority. The NCP, which had earlier said its mandate was to sit in the opposition, changed its stance Sunday evening, saying it would consider supporting the Sena if the latter quit the NDA.
Lone Sena minister quits Modi cabinet
DRDA employees lock offices over non-receipt of salary Correspondent
KOHIMA NOV 11 (NPN): Employees of District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) locked their offices in all 11 districts of the State on Monday. This comes after a gap of two months of their agitation, which was suspended after release of their salary till July this year. According to reports, the employees decided to resume their stir by shutting down offices in their respective districts due to non-receipt of their salary. One DRDA staff explained they resumed their agitation to press for clearing their pending salary and sought assurance from the department for regular payment of monthly salary. The employee said the DRDA staff had given enough time for the State government to release the remaining two months’ pending salary and had even warned of starting their agitation from November 10, if the salary was not released. However, having received no response from the department concerned on both the issues, he the
Sharad Pawar
Sonia Gandhi
Uddhav Thackeray
Given a deadline of 8.30 pm today to stake claim to form govt NEW DELHI/MUMBAI, NOV 11 (AGENCIES): Political uncertainty in Maharashtra intensified Monday evening with Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari inviting Sharad Pawar’s NCP to prove its ability to form a government. This came barely hours after he refused to give the Shiv Sena a 48-hour extension to secure the numbers. The NCP has been given until 8.30 pm Tuesday to prove it has the numbers. The drama played out as the Congress dithered on its support to Uddhav Thackeray’s party, its
political and ideological adversary. NCP leaders who were willing to extend support to the Shiv Sena, provided ally Congress also did, were scheduled to meet Koshyari later in the evening. An indecisive Congress, at the end of a threehour meeting between interim party chief Sonia Gandhi and senior leaders at 10 Janpath, said it would hold further consultations. After the meeting, former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan said the party would first hold discussions “primarily” with its pre-poll ally NCP and possibly with the Shiv Sena before coming to any conclusion. Gandhi is said to have reservations about join-
ing hands with Uddhav Thackeray’s party because of its aggressive Hindutva ideology and controversial pronouncements and actions in the past. The governor’s office issued a statement in the evening, informing that he had rejected the Shiv Sena’s demand for 48-hour extension as conveyed by Aaditya Thackeray and other party leaders who visited the Raj Bhavan. Earlier in the day, as the NCP and the Sena leaders remained huddled in Mumbai, the Congress Working Committee met to discuss the political situation in Maharashtra, which was followed by consultations at 10 Janpath. Gandhi also took a call from Shiv Sena chief Uddhav
Gov greets on Guru Nanak’s birthday
Legendary poll reformer T N Seshan dead DoSE to set up commission to review communitisation
D I M A P U R , N OV 1 1 (NPN): Governor of Nagaland, RN Ravi, has extended warm greetings to the people of the State on the occasion of the birth anniversary Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism. In his message, Ravi underlined the message of oneness of humanity and compassion towards all propagated by Guru Nanak. Governor also emphasised the significance of Guru Nanak’s teachings and hoped that it would be an inspiration for all.
Dmu traffic regulation
D I M A P U R , N OV 1 1 (NPN): Dimapur police Monday informed that only six-wheel goods-laden trucks bound for Kohima and elsewhere would be permitted to proceed from Chumoukedima Check gate till such time repair works on certain crucial stretches along NH-29 is fully restored. In a press release, Dimapur police PRO, however, informed that ten-wheel trucks bound for Kohima on emergency government duty would be permitted to proceed subject to prior permission from the commissioner of police office or deputy commissioner of police (traffic). PRO informed that the regulation was purely temporary subject to complete restorative work on NH-29.
This is it!
“DId your bank beg us to open accounts only to deduct money?.” K Y M C
C H E N NA I , N OV 1 1 (PTI): Former chief election commissioner T N Seshan, who ruthlessly enforced the model code of conduct and led the gamechanging electoral reforms in the 1990s, died here on Sunday following a cardiac arrest. He was 86. The legendary Seshan was not keeping good health for the past couple of years and passed away at 9.45pm, his daughter Srividhya told PTI. Though Seshan was largely confined to his home due to age-related health issues for the past couple of years, he was always passionate to write about his journey, the people he knew and eventful years in service of the people. “It, however, did not materialise,” Srividhya said. In accordance with his wishes, she said, a trust was formed last August for propagation of spirituality, the “Narayaneeyam,” a spiritual and
Late T N Seshan (File)
devotional compilation and the Vedas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Seshan was as an outstanding civil servant who served the country with utmost diligence and integrity. “His efforts towards electoral reforms have made our democracy stronger and more participative. Pained by his demise. Om Shanti,” the prime minister wrote on Twitter. Known for his nononsense attitude, Seshan was credited with ushering in major electoral reforms
during his tenure as the 10th CEC between December 12, 1990, and December 11, 1996. Seshan, it was said, used to wield a big stick while enforcing the model code of conduct to reign in muscle and money power during elections. Born in Thirunellai, Palakkad district of Kerala, he was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1996. In his acceptance speech of the prestigious award, Seshan had said, “I deemed this award a tribute to the process of democracy throughout the free world, to the wisdom of millions of India’s electorate not always necessarily formally educated, to the millions of Indian voters who have overcome disabilities of economic status, social disability, poverty, and prejudice to walk into the ballot booth and use that little marking stamp to decidedly say who they want to rule over them.”
Arvind Sawant
Shiv Sena leader Arvind Sawant on Monday announced his resignation from the Union cabinet, saying there is no trust left and it would not be proper to continue as minister when a new government is being formed in Maharashtra. Addressing a press conference, Sawant accused the BJP of reneging on its promise to the Sena for equal division of seats and power and forcing the Uddhav Thackeray-led party to snap ties. “I have resigned as Union minister. I have sent my resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” the Shiv Sena leader said and displayed his letter resigning as Heavy Industries minister.
NEW DELHI, NOV 11 (NPN): Union minister of state for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Dr. Jitendra Singh Monday said the contribution of North Eastern states was important to push the collaboration with ASEAN countries in meeting the target of 5 trillion economy in India. He said that the new engine of the ASEAN collaboration has been spearheaded by the North Eastern region. Addressing at the inaugural session of two-day India-ASEAN Business Summit here, Dr. Singh said the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created an optimistic environment which was crucial to achieve the target of 5 trillion USD economy.
Dr. Jitendra Singh
He added that the Prime Minister has been reiterating the emphasis on closer and progressive collaboration with ASEAN countries and also focus on development of North Eastern region. This is important for business and trade development, Dr. Singh said and added that the North East has unexplored potential which needs to be tapped. He said that the new engine of the ASEAN collaboration has been spear-
headed by the North Eastern region. Highlighting the various developmental initiatives undertaken in the North East, Dr. Singh said connectivity in the region has been the main focus of the Centre, adding the three essentials form ease of doing business are connectivity, communication and ease of regulations. He also informed that many initiatives have been taken to promote start-ups in North east, such as tax holiday, provision of exit period and ‘Venture fund’ which is being offered by the DoNER ministry. These initiatives have helped in curbing the youth exodus from the region, the minister stated. Speaking about the tourism potential of North East, Dr. Singh said that tourism has grown manifold in the recent years,
employees were forced to resume their stir. Another employee informed Nagaland Post that their strike would continue until the authorities released their pending salary and assured them in writing about timely release of their salary. He said the agitation would continue for an “indefinite period”. After the government had released their salary till July and following an appeal from the rural development (RD) department to all the DRDA employees to call off their ongoing agitation, the stir was suspended from September 11. Earlier, a representation was submitted to the government on August 9 appealing for immediate
release of pending salary and timely payment of salary henceforth. Even last year, a representation was submitted to the government for immediate release of salary. In a recent interview, RD principal secretary Bendangkokba spoke of the department’s inability to assist the DRDAs employees as it was a Central-sponsored scheme, explaining that DRDA was funded by the Union Ministry of Rural Development. Meanwhile, Bendangkokba told this correspondent over telephone that the department had received the Central share, but the file for releasing the salary was under process with the planning department.
Correspondent
KOHIMA, NOV 11 (NPN): The department of school education (DoSE) will constitute a commission to review the dynamism of communitisation. Announcing this at the National Education Day function held at the directorate of school education here on Monday, School Education principal secretary Menukhol John also clarified that department officials going on field visits was not for finding faults but to bridge the gap. Citing the instances of a decision by a village education committee (VEC) of a school wherein the teachers had to send their children to the schools where they taught and another school which had many success stories with community participation, remarked that said as long as a community was supportive and had the will, it could effect change
‘NE spearheads new engine of ASEAN collaboration’ Spl. Correspondent
(L-R) Offices of DRDA Kohima and Dimapur under lock. (NP)
specially with Home stay tourism in the region. Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador, Royal Thai Embassy and chair of ASEAN region, Chutintorn Gongsakdi said that we need to identify the opportunities available for us to do business in India. He emphasised upon connecting the connectivities, including air, land and sea connectivity. He further said that digital technology is an enabler of member economies and quoted example of e-commerce regarding it. He added that we should aim at people-centred and inclusive economies with focus on environmental, social and corporate governance. The objective of the conference was to enhance the trade trajectory between India and ASEAN nations to new highs.
DoSE officials and others during the National Education Day programme in Kohima. (NP)
for good. Asking teachers whether they taught the students as much as how he or she would want his/her child to be taught, he said the teachers’ commitment in the past was excellent. He regretted that although the government had many policies, some of these failed to show the desired result. Accepting the criticisms of the department, John, however, said instead of pointing fingers, together a lot of difference could be
Revised schedule for SSRPER D I M A P U R , N OV 1 1 (NPN): Election department has notified that the Election Commission of India has revised the schedule for Special Summary Revision of Photo Electoral Rolls (SSRPER) with reference to January 1, 2020 as the qualifying date. Nagaland chief electoral officer (CEO) , Abhijit Sinha, stated that electors verification programme (EVP) and other pre-revision activities including rationalization of Polling Stations has been revised upto November 30, 2019; publication of integrated draft electoral roll on December 16; period for filing claims & objections December 16 to January 15, 2020; disposal of claims and objections by January 27, 2020; preparation of Supplements by February 4, and Final publication of Electoral Roll on February 7, 2020.
made and urged the community to take challenges positively. In his address, principal director Shanavas C mentioned that communitisation was a good policy, but added that it was also time to modify it to get good results. Asserting that community participation had done a good thing in some villages, he however said not every village was doing the same and wondered whether it had become a channel for corruption.
He observed that communitisation had led to corruption and regretted that even when the department officials visited the schools, some village councils or VEC members come out defending the proxy or absentee teachers without realising that the officials were there for the welfare of students. He admitted that there was lack of proper implementation and monitoring of government policies. (Cont’d on p-10)
DDCF concerned over Dimapur roads, bridges D I M A P U R , N OV 1 1 (NPN): Dimapur District Citizens’ Forum (DDCF) has expressed concern over current condition of roads and bridges in Dimapur and urged the responsible department to ensure that the contractor completes the work at the earliest before the citizens take up the issue. In a press note, DDCF president Y Kikon and general secretary Richard Haolai said roads in most parts of Dimapur were neglected for so long that some were not even walkable and have become worse than roads in rural areas. The forum said, Dimapur the commercial hub which caters to the needs of people even from neighbouring states, has been left without proper roads and bridges as if there existed no government or competent authority that cared.
DDCF, therefore, requested the responsible authority and department to take necessary steps to repair such roads at the earliest. Further, the forum said it has taken serious note of the “snail speed” pace of work of the Dhansiri river bridge connecting Walford and Purana Bazaar. As regards, DDCF has questioned the government if a time limit has been set for the completion in the DPR? “If ‘yes’, why is it not enforced? If ‘no’, how work has been allotted without time frame?” Meanwhile, the DDCF has cautioned the government that the patience of citizens were running out and situation could turn ugly if things were not done on time accordingly with regard to all developmental activities. K Y M C