Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com
Vol XXVIII No. 308
Ban on unauthorised use of govt vehicles
DIMAPUR, OCT 12 (NPN): State government has directed all the officials provided with government vehicles that no children/ unauthorized persons be allowed to drive the government vehicle for any purpose with immediate effect. In an office memorandum, deputy secretary to the government of Nagaland, Samson Sekhose, stated that the concerned official would be held responsible if found guilty. Observing that many of its vehicles attached to officials were being illegally driven around by children/unauthorized persons undermining the purpose, the government said the vehicles were solely for performing official duty by the concerned official.
Dmu traffic regulation
DIMAPUR, OCT 12 (NPN): In order to ease traffic congestion and ensure smooth vehicular movement, the Dimapur traffic police has allocated parking spaces for both four and two wheelers from Delux Point to Plaza Point and from Clock Tower to Dhobinallah Point. In a press release, Dimapur police PRO has advised all drivers/riders to park in their designated parking areas and strictly adhere to the traffic rules and regulations. Police have warned that action deemed necessary will be initiated against any violators. Further, in view of Durga Puja celebrations, vehicular movement from Durga Mandir Junction to Naga Bazar Junction will be restricted to “one way only” from 6pm to 11pm on October 17 and 18, 2018.
MRVC coverage crosses 2 lakh
DIMAPUR, OCT 12 (NPN): In the ongoing Measles Rubella Vaccination Campaign (MRVC), a total of 2078 children in schools and 490 children in outreach sessions were vaccinated on October 10, 2018 bringing the overall total to 2,10,515, which is already 44.86% of the total target for Nagaland. The department of health and family welfare informed there had been no cases of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) reported till date.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2018 Pages 12 ` 5.00
Air India plane hits wall on take-off
Chase defies India as WI reach 295/7
Moon urges US to move towards formally ending Korean War
national, Page 5
sports, Page 11
international, Page 9
PDA legislators resolve to stand firm with coalition Neiphiu Rio along with his colleagues during the meeting.
DIMAPUR, OCT 12 (NPN): In an attempt to dispel speculations and against the backdrop of allegations and counter-allegations of trying to engineer horse trading by NDPP and NPF, a resolution by PDA constituent party members and legislators have resolved to stand firm with the pre and post poll alliance under the leadership of chief minister Neiphiu Rio. This resolution among several others was arrived at during a joint meeting of PDA MLAs and PDA Coordination Committee members held at the State Banquet Hall, Kohima on Friday. The meeting also unanimously resolved that the ruling PDA will provide stability and pursue the progressive de-
velopment goals of NDA government under the “visionary leadership” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The house also appreciated the generous contributions of State government bodies and individuals for relief and rehabilitation and towards the CM’s Relief Fund. While also appreciating all citizens of the State for positively responding to the appeal of the State government for mass social work and cleanliness drive in the aftermath of the unprecedented monsoon rains and calamity that had impacted the State, the House appealed to all the citizens to continue pursuing the goal of a clean and green Nagaland. The meeting mourned the demise of former P Atal
Bihari Vajpayee, who was towering personality and had made significant contributions and sacrifices in the nation building process. It also mourned the death of former legislator Imtikumzuk, who had served the people of Nagaland, particularly Mokokchung district, in a selfless and committed manner. Meanwhile, as part of the PDA government’s endeavour to take governance and administration to all corners of the State in a manner that was inclusive and where all citizens and stakeholders participated in the development aspirations of the people, the house agreed to hold a full-fledged cabinet meeting in Kiphire. Chief minister, Neiphiu Rio; deputy CM, Y. Patton and others including minister Kaito Aye of JD (U), adviser L. Khumo (NPP) spoke at the meeting. The programme was chaired by PDA chairman, Chingwang Konyak and welcome address by BJP president, Temjen Imna Along. NLA Speaker, Vikho-o Yhoshu pronounced the invocation.
Citizenship bill likely to be passed during winter Parl session G U WA H A T I , O C T 12 (AGENCIES): The controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 is likely to be passed during the Winter Session of the Parliament. InsideNe has learnt that the Centre is all geared up to pass the bill ahead of next Lok Sabha elections. Strengthening the suspicion, the Lok Sabha Secretariat, through a notification, has informed all members of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 of a sitting to be held on October 23 in New Delhi, INSIDENE report stated. The agenda of the meeting, according to the notification, will be “oral evidence of representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice (Legislative Department and Department of Legal Affairs) and Ministry of External Affairs on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016”. At its recent state executive, the BJP in Assam also discussed the issue threadbare.
Onus on scribes to counter fake news, says Aussie editor
Spl. Correspondent
GUWAHATI, OCT 12 (NPN): Alternate media in India is growing, but newspapers in the country still have a future. “After all, more than half the population in India lack Internet access, which means the daily newspaper continues to be a source of news that can be shared between users,” said Alan Gray, Editor-cum-proprietor of the highly-followed news portal Newsblaze. Interacting through video-conferencing from Jerrabomberra in Australia with scribes in the city on Friday as part of “Meet the Press” programme by Guwahati Press Club, Gray said in all media forms, the basics remain the same. The aspiring journalist must do proper groundwork and write a good story whatever be the format, he said. He said journalists in Australia strive to maintain high professional standards and enjoy a fair degree of job security. “The Australian press is quite nationalistic, but it is issue-based and scribes do not shrink from constructive criticism,” Gray said. He
pointed out that various media forms in Australia, including the press, radio, television and alternative media, all coexist in their own space in a dynamic landscape. While he is yet to come across any journalist of Indian origin active in Australia, Gray said that Indian issues are given due coverage by Australian media. “We do receive a good amount of write-ups from Indian contributors, though the quality is sometimes uneven. A considerable number of unskilled and inexperienced people are entering this field. Some media house managements seem to prefer raw recruits rather than experience journalists to cut down on expenses, which explains the poor quality work often seen floating around,” he said. As for alternate media, the ubiquity of smartphones is making it grow by leaps and bounds. Agreeing that fake news is emerging as a major threat to both alternate as well as mainstream media, Gray said that this puts a greater responsibility on journalists worth their salt.
#MeToo: WCD Ministry to set up legal committee NEW DELHI, OCT 12 (IANS): Women and Child Development Ministr y (WCD) Friday said that a legal committee would be set up in the wake of #MeToo campaign, where multiple sexual harassment cases from media and entertainment industry have come to light. “The Ministry will be setting up a committee of senior judicial and legal persons as members to examine all issues emanating from #MeToo India movement,” it said in a statement. The panel will look into legal and institutional framework which is in place for handling complaints of sexual harassment at work and will advise the Ministry on how to strengthen this framework. “I believe in the pain and trauma behind every single complaint. Cases of sexual harassment at work must be dealt with a policy of zero tolerance,” said WCD Minister Maneka Gandhi. According to a WCD official, the committee will go into the legal and institutional framework and not based on individual complaints.
Cong has no right to teach Nagas: BJP ‘Nani Teri Morni’ issue: NPF slams PDA govt Dimapur hardware traders resent hike in entry tax
DIMAPUR, OCT 12 (NPN): Hitting back at the Congress’ recent remarks against the BJP-led government at the Centre, the BJP Nagaland unit Friday said that Congress had no right to teach Naga people by spreading negativity. BJP Nagaland through its chief spokesperson, Kuputo Shohe, said Congress was only projecting itself as “a self righteous paper tiger.” “We don’t need the teaching of division within society from the Congress party because we are already engaged in the movement of unity, harmony, and progress”, Shohe said. He claimed that the Naga people have today been given hope by BJP to choose the actual way of development and peace. “The road for Naga solution has been made possible by BJP and the solution can be brought only by BJP,” chief spokesperson claimed.
Stating that BJP takes pride in having Nagaland state as part of India, Shohe said “We have declared before the world that we have a state named ‘Nagaland’ where the humility of the people, their rich heritage, vibrant culture and traditions glorify India’s Pride.” He said BJP proudly declares Nagaland as “a gift to this beautiful Nation.” BJP state unit’s chief spokesperson also said that the Central government was keen to achieve permanent peace with honour and dignity for the people of Nagaland. He reminded that Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the first prime minister to recognize the “unique history of the Nagas.” Shohe maintained that BJP was only the platform that has paved way and given “aspiration and hope to our Naga motherland to pursue a prosperous future.”
DIMAPUR, OCT 12 (NPN): NPF has criticized the PDA government of treating disrespectfully and giving a cold shoulder to cast and crew of the movie “Nani Teri Morni”, a movie released recently based on the truelife events of Mhonbeni Ezung, a recipient of the national bravery award. Terming it as an “appalling” behaviour, NPF also asked the PDA government what right it had to take ownership of the event when the film’s cast/ crew did not receive any sort of assistance from it. According to the NPF, the boycott by the cast and crew at the time of the film’s screening spoke volumes of the discontentment. Yet, the PDA government gave the slightest attention to what the team, which put its heart and soul into the project, de-
sired as the government’s primary target was only on optics and applause, it alleged. Referring to the escape of a man arrested for raping his own daughter at Meluri town from police custody on October 10, NPF said the state of affairs under PDA government was pathetic as it was least bothered about shortcomings on its part, while losing no time to snatch the credit of others. NPF further asked the PDA government to send out a clear message to all officials to perform their assigned duties and not overstep jurisdiction of others. Citing the nature and choice of words used against prominent personality and line producer of “Nani Teri Morni” Rebecca Changkija by a certain officer who works directly under the supervision of Neiphiu Rio as commis-
sioner and secretary, NPF said it found the attitude of the officer absolutely demeaning. And in a bid to steer away from the controversy, the officer blamed it on “miscommunication”, which was clichéd, NPF added. It wondered whether the officer was acting on his own volition or was instructed by CM. Regardless on whose direction it was, NPF said demoralisation of the people who had worked so tirelessly towards the success of the movie was irreparable. An event which could have brought laurels to the State had been turned into an event filled with remorse and pain, it added. NPF asked the government to realize its responsibility and govern the State as was tasked, and not dictate terms and turn Nagaland into an autocratic State.
DIMAPUR, OCT 12 (NPN): Hardware Merchants’ Association of Dimapur district has urged municipal affairs department to immediately control the surge in collection of entry tax on vehicles witnessed since introduction of lease system of toll collection. The association also warned of taking its own course of action in the event of failure to withdraw the hike that would ultimately affect the public In a press release issued by its president K Denis, the association pointed out that earlier, entry tax per vehicle for mild steel (MS) rod was Rs 350 for a six-wheeled vehicle and Rs 450 for a 12-wheeled vehicle. However, since the toll tax was leased out, the toll tax was collected at the rate of Rs 50 per metric tonne (MT),
instead of per-vehicle basis since October 1. Thus, with the introduction of lease system by Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC), the entry tax jumped to Rs 3,500 per vehicle for a 12-wheeler vehicle (70 MT). This, according to the association, was taking a huge toll on transporters and eventually affecting customers. The traders said the burden eventually fell on customers, who had to bear the brunt for no fault of theirs but due to a flawed policy decision made by the municipal affairs department in leasing out toll collection. Moreover, DMC was not a sales tax/ GST department to collect tax on commodities and could only collect entry tax per vehicle, not commoditywise, they added. (Cont’d on p-7)
Water supply project commissioned in Wokha NSACS clarifies on multi media campaign
This is it!
“Price of LPG has almost doubled. It’s now an exclusive item for the upper class.” K Y M C
DIMAPUR, OCT 12 (NPN): The long-awaited augmentation of water supply project to Wokha town was commissioned by Nagaland minister for PHED, Jacob Zhimomi, at Witter Theological College (WTC) compound, Vankhosung Friday. According to an official bulletin, the project which began in the year 2013 and taken up at the cost of Rs.1870.75 lakh is funded under Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER). Speaking during the commissioning programme, the minister congratulated all stakeholders involved in the projects and said the efforts they put in led to successful completion and commissioning of the augmentation project on time. Stating that government was only a felicitator of an asset created for the people, Jacob appealed to all sections of the people to utilise the facility judiciously.
Jacob commissioning the augmentation of water supply to Wokha.
The minister said that government acts as felicitator where schemes and development are implemented for the public. In this regard, he urged the people to use the newly commissioned water supply with a sense of ownership. Jacob also called for protection of the catchment area by planting more trees for sustainability of the project. Commissioner & Sec-
retary PHED, Dr. Maongwati Aier, who chaired the programme, also congratulated both the department and Wokha village for making the project a reality for the benefit of the dwellers of Wokha town. This project is a single stage pumping where water will be pumped from catchment area to Pressure Break Tank located at WTC compound, Vankhosung and distributed to the town
by gravity system installed at NAP camp and Ganga Post. Through this project, the dwellers of Wokha town would now be getting 6 lakh cubic litters per day during the lean season. At least 600 households covering 20 sectors of Wokha town will be benefited. Delivering a shor t speech, Lotha Hoho secretary, Er. Mhondamo Ovung, urged the citizens of the Wokha town to use the facility with sense of ownership. Thanking the government for choosing the catchment area in Wokha village, the Wokha village council chairman urged that government to honour the MoU signed between the two parties. He assured the department that the council would protect and take the ownership for the safety of the project. Later in the day, the minister also visited the EE (PHED) office and had interaction with the officers and staff.
DIMAPUR, OCT 12 (NPN): Reacting to the concerns expressed by various individuals on its recentlyconducted multi media campaign (MMC), that its impact was not visible and that Nagaland State AIDS Control Society (NSACS) had not carried out any assessment on its impact, NSACS has clarified that MMC was another strategy to reach out to young people with HIV prevention messages through music, sports, etc. NSACS project director Dr Ngangshimeren, in a statement, explained that MMC was a special package provided by National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) since 2009 for the eight North-eastern States keeping in mind that people of the region were music lovers and music influenced lives. Even this year, the campaign was being simultaneously carried out across the North-eastern States and would culminate with a regional-level programme
to be hosted by NSACS in November, as recommended by NACO, he added. Ngangshimeren said the recently-concluded MMC witnessed dissemination of HIV messages through songs, lyrics, quiz competitions, distribution of IEC materials, screening of short videos and texts with prevention and treatment messages, motivational talks and discussions on drug abuse and its effects, etc. He expressed gratefulness to those who had attended and participated in the programme. “We continuously strive through these activities to reach the youth, whether in small or large numbers, with HIV prevention messages and safe behavioural practices,” he added. NSACS project director said an evaluation of MMC “Red Ribbon Superstar Campaign” was done in 2011-12 by Social and Rural Research Institute, a specialised unit of International Media Research Bureau (IMRB), New
Delhi. And the evaluation showed that MMC “triggered discussion” among 60% of the respondents, while 93% was “intent to watch more such campaigns” and 77% was “intent to watch campaigns on the issue” of HIV/AIDS. It was also found that “of all the States covered, HIV testing was reported to be highest among respondents in Nagaland (18%), followed by Mizoram (16%) and Manipur (13%). Significant difference could also be observed in HIV testing among respondents who were exposed to the Red Ribbon campaign and those not exposed, he added. Stating that the comments, suggestions and inputs were well taken, Ngangshimeren remarked that it should be the endeavour of all concerned to explore more “attractive, effective and youth-friendly” intervention programmes and collectively fight the HIV/ AIDS epidemic. (Cont’d on p-7) K Y M C