September 27, 2018

Page 1

Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com

Vol XXVIII No. 292

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2018 Pages 12 ` 5.00

Congress welcomes SC decision on Aadhaar, says it is ‘slap’ on BJP’s face

Afghanistan stun India in thrilling tie

Myanmar’s delaying tactics blocking Rohingya return, says Sheikh Hasina

national, Page 5

sports, Page 12

international, Page 9

SC whittles down Aadhaar scheme Linking Aadhaar with bank, mobile not backed by law

NEW DELHI, SEP 26 (IANS): In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court on Wednesday by a 4:1 majority judgement upheld the legality of Aadhaar for use only in government-funded social benefit schemes and PAN and Income Tax Return (ITR) while junking its requirement for mobile phone connections, bank accounts, school admissions and competitive examinations. A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra held that Aadhaar would be voluntary and not mandatory. The majority judgment, which struck and read down or clarified various provisions of Aadhaar Act, was read out by Justice AK Sikri speaking for Chief Justice Misra and Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and himself. Justice Ashok Bhushan delivered a separate but concurring judgment. Rejecting the apprehensions of petitioners, the

Dist court orders attachment of R&B office bldg, land DIMAPUR, SEP 26 (NPN): District Court Zunheboto has ordered attachment of land and office building of the executive engineer, PWD (R&B) Zunheboto for nonpayment of contract work executed bill amounting Rs. 3,97,98,000 to a firm. In a press release, Hukavi Zhimomi, advocate for the firm, said the state government awarded contract work for construction of 30.00M Span RCC bridge over Lanki river on Satakha-Saptiqa Road (Zunheboto) at approximate work value of Rs. 522.95 Lac to Alen Meren Enterprises vide letter No.CE/TENDER/ Brg.1/2010-11/132 dated Kohima September 7, 2012. During the ongoing work, the advocate said a partial amount of Rs. 125 lakh was released to the contractor. The contractor completed the said contract as per the specification in the year 2016 and the office of the EE PWD (R&B) issued a completion certificate. However, despite the completion of work, the department failed to release the pending bill.

Aadhaar

Services to be mandatorily linked

It is mandatory to link

PAN with Aadhaar Aadhaar is

compulsory for filing Income Tax returns Aadhaar must for availing facilities of welfare schemes and government subsidies

majority judgment held that the architecture of Aadhaar as well as the provisions of Aadhaar Act do not tend to create a surveillance state. In his dissenting judgement, Justice DY Chandrachud held that the entire Aadhaar programme since 2009 suffered from constitutional infirmities and violated fundamental rights. Justice Chandrachud said that passing the Aadhaar law as money bill was unconstitutional and a “fraud on the Constitution” because it was not a money bill. Speaking for the major-

Services that do NOT require Aadhaar Linking

Linking bank account Telecom services providers cannot ask for linking mobile number with Aadhaar CBSE, NEET, UGC Not compulsory for school admissions. No child can be denied benefits of any schemes on not being able to bring Aadhaar

ity, Justice Sikri said linking of Aadhaar for opening and with existing bank accounts, getting a mobile number, appearing for CBSE, NEET, JEE, UGC examinations and admission in schools was not mandatory. The court in its 1,448 page judgement said government’s notification that rendered bank accounts inoperable for not being linked with Aadhaar amounted to depriving a person of his property rights. The court in its majority judgment said that on attaining the age of majority, children enrolled

under Aadhaar with the consent of their parents shall be given the option to exit from the Aadhaar project if they do not intend to avail the benefits of the government schemes. The requirement of Aadhaar for admission of children to school will not be compulsory as it was “neither a service nor subsidy”. However, the majority of the bench held that Aadhaar was valid for linking with ITR. On the disclosure of information including, identity, information or authentication records, the court said that the person “whose information is sought to be released, shall be afforded an opportunity of hearing. Striking down Section 57 of the Aadhaar Act that allows private entities to demand Aadhaar to access their services, the court said that there would not be sharing of data with individuals and the corporate entities. The Court held that the telecom department circular of March 2017, mandating linking of mobile number with Aadhaar, was “illegal and unconstitutional as it is not backed by any law and is hereby quashed”.

240 afflicted by dengue in Dimapur, Kohima Staff Reporter

DIMAPUR, SEP 26 (NPN): Altogether 240 individuals in Dimapur and Kohima have tested positive for dengue since January this year up to now. Out of the 1,305 blood samples tested in Dimapur, 235 were found to be positive. Similarly, five out of the 235 samples tested in Kohima were found to be positive Talking to this reporter, Dimapur chief medical officer (CMO) K Vikato Kinimi, however, said no death had been reported so far. He claimed that the health department had been following up on any rumour about deaths being attributed to dengue and that programme officer were directly contacting dengue patients via phone calls. “As far as medication is concerned, no haemorrhagic signs and symptoms have been detected during diagnosis,” he added. According to Kinimi, dengue had become a serious issue last year, but added that people were now more aware and taking necessary precautions. He further claimed that the health

department was continuously going around sensitising people on how to prevent dengue outbreak. He also lauded Agarwal Mahasabha for carrying out fogging drive to control dengue outbreak in Dimapur and its adjoining areas. Meanwhile, confirming the five dengue cases in the district, Kohima CMO Dr Ritu Thurr said dengue surveillance was being jointly taken up by National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) and Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP). He said, of the five confirmed cases, four were imported, meaning they had a travel history to Dimapur. Only one was indigenous case as the individual had no travel history and it was an isolated case, he added. Thurr said some samples were sent to Dimapur Sentinel Site Laboratory (DSSL) at Dimapur District Hospital due to shortage of dengue testing facility in the district. Dengue confirmatory test ELISA had been recently made available in Kohima district under SSL, Naga Hospital Authority Kohima and tests were carried out in the State Capital too, he added.

“It’s our Rapid Action Cell. We monitor all those criticising the government then CBI, ED and IT take over.” K Y M C

NSCN(I-M) leaders with representatives of eastern Sumi bodies on Wednesday. (MIP)

DIMAPUR, SEP 26 (NPN): NSCN (I-M) held a consultative meeting with the Eastern Sumi Hoho (ESH), GBs and frontal organizations including Dimapur Eastern Sumi Union, Kohima Eastern Sumi Union and Kiphire Tuensang Sumi Students’ Union at Hotel Acacia, Dimapur on September 26. In a press note, MIP said the group was headed by kilo kilonser Hukavi Yepthomi and Naga Army Longvibu ‘lt. gen.’ Anthony Shimray. MIP said the meeting was called for “sharing and understanding the political issue at hand so that the

Nagas harvest the deserving national aspirations.” According to MIP, ESH leadership conveyed that they were with GPRN and would always stand with the Nagas. At the meeting, ESH also reportedly appealed for separation from the United Sangtam Region and to grant them a separate Eastern Sumi Region under the GPRN. MIP said the GPRN led by Hukavi and Anthony had been endlessly reaching out to the Nagas after the signing of the Framework Agreement, and for which a number of Naga tribal ho-

hos have “become friendlier and better acquainted with the progress of the IndoNaga Peace Process.” NSCN (I-M) also reminded that Naga politics was based on the principle of “our faith in Christ” and assured that the dignity and pride of the Nagas would be restored through the Framework. They also appealed to all Nagas to set aside sectarian interest and work in unity to achieve “our national goal together.” NSCN (I-M) further conveyed that a solution to the “Indo-Naga conflict” would be equally beneficial to India also.

Correspondent

KOHIMA, SEP 26 (NPN): All Nagaland Ad hoc Teachers’ Group (ANATG)-2015 has expressed dismay that the government had recently regularized services of 82 typists in the Home department, while their case was not being looked into. This was conveyed to the School Education department during the meeting called by School Education adviser, K.T. Sukhalu here on Wednesday. ANATG-2105 batch spokesperson Bendangtemsu Ozukum however clarified that the teachers were not against any individuals, government or department, but were completely against the “system” that gave no hope to the teachers. ANATG legal representative Imti Longem reminded the government that, if laws were strictly followed, there would not be any regular employees in the State as many did not go through the proper selection procedure. He appealed to the government to grant regular pay scale and explore the

possibility of regularising the ad hoc teachers. Lawyer Joshua Shequi, who also represented ANATG, told the officials that pay scale could not be done away with and requested granting of pay scale as per law. However, on the other hand senior additional advocate general Nagaland, K Sema explained that as per the high court order, the government should not regularize those who had completed “only three years” of service in the light of 2008 and 2016 office memorandum, adding that the court order included all departments and not just the ad hoc teachers. Stating that a writ appeal was filed in the court on September 25 after a series of consultations, Sema said unless the case was settled, it would not be advisable for the State government to take up any regularization case. At this, the aggrieved teachers produced a document that showed regularisation of 82 typists in the home department recently and asked why they should be treated differently. K. Sema replied that he

would have to check since it was not in his knowledge. He, however, expressed apprehension that the matter could lead to another legal tussle. Only legal hurdles remain, says Sukhalu: School Education adviser KT Sukhalu informed the aggrieved teachers that the School Education department was not sleeping over the issue and clarified that it was because of legal hurdles that the government could not go ahead with regularization. He said the department was not holding back the regularization process and requested the teachers not to misunderstand. Regarding regular pay scale, Sukhalu said the matter was already under process and that he would present before the cabinet meeting scheduled on September 28 for granting of regular pay scale till the court process got resolved. He said the teachers had every right to agitate, if the department refused to regularize their service or delayed the matter intentionally. (Cont’d on p-7)

Measles-Rubella vaccine safe, says Health deptt

Staff Reporter

DIMAPUR, SEP 26 (NPN): Land Owners’ Union (LOU) Doyang Hydro Electric Project (DHEP) has threatened to launch second phase of agitation if the NEEPCO Ltd authority failed to comply with its seven-point charter of demands within a period of one month. The union cautioned that DHEP management and corporation (NEEPCO) would be held the solely responsible if any eventualities arose during the course of agitation. In a press release, LOU president, Rhanbemo Odyuo, said the union, which represents 17 affected villages of DHEP, submitted a representation during consultative meeting at Conference Hall Doyang with executive director (O&M) NEEPCO Hq Shillong on September 24, 2018.

(Cont’d on p-7)

This is it!

DIMAPUR, SEP 26 (NPN): State chief minister, Neiphiu Rio, on Wednesday inspected the damaged portion of NH-29 at KMC dumping site that remained cut off due to landslide. According to CMO media cell, Rio reviewed the progress of the restoration works along with concerned department officials. Chief engineer (NH) informed the chief minister that the road would be opened for light vehicles (to and fro) while heavy vehicles and passenger buses going down towards Dimapur would be allowed. However, heavy vehicles and buses coming up towards Kohima would still have to take Peducha-Tsiesama Road. The road is scheduled to be opened on September 29. NH-29 from Jotsoma lower bypass to upper bypass near KMC check gate is under BRO, but due to lack of resources, they were unable to take up restoration of landslide and subsidence area. As such, the government entrusted PWD (NH) to take up restoration work on August 12, 2018.

LOU-DHEP threatens stir

NSCN (I-M), Eastern Sumi bodies hold meeting

ANATG resents partiality in regularization of 82 typists

CM inspects damaged portion of NH-29 in Kma

DIMAPUR, SEP 26 (NPN): With apprehensions being expressed by many and speculations rife in the State about the proposed Measles-Rubella Vaccination Campaign (MRVC), the Health department is now trying to sensitize citizens through various awareness programmes across all the districts and covering both rural and urban areas. Speaking about the misconceptions over the vaccine, Reproductive Child Health and Universal Immunisation Programme (RCH/UIP) district programme officer (DPO) Dr Rebecca Y Sema clarified that MR vaccine was another new vaccine. She said it was available for the past 40 years, but only in private sector and hence was expensive. But now, with launch of the campaign by the government, the vaccine would be available free of cost, she added. Dr. Rebecca said the (Cont’d on p-7)

Rain in NE states to continue for next 24 hours NEW DELHI, SEP 26 (AGENCIES): Moderate rain with one or two heavy spells was observed over Assam along with scattered activities over Nagaland, Sikkim, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh during the last 24 hours. Skymet Weather report said, a trough is extending from East Bihar to Gangetic W. Bengal. Besides this, moist winds from the Bay of Bengal are affecting NE states including Nagaland. Scattered light to moderate rain and thundershower activities are expected over all these regions during the next 24 hours. Thereafter, rains would reduce over the NE region. However, the weather will not go absolutely dry, as few spells of patchy rains would continue in view of the moisture supply from the Bay of Bengal.

campaign was special to protect children and eliminate transmission of M-R in the community. Already around 11 crore children had been vaccinated which was safe and secure without any adverse effects, she claimed. Mentioning that M-RVC would be launched in Nagaland on October 3, Rebecca said children between 9 months and 15 years of age would be vaccinated during the campaign. The dose to be given during this mass campaign would be a supplementary dose, she added. The DPO explained that the campaign was being launched on a massive scale as Government of India (GoI) had taken a pledge to eliminate measles & rubella (M-R) from the country. She said the health department was hopeful of reaching out to at least 95% of the targeted children. This would help eliminate the diseases like polio and stop them from being transmitted, she explained.

Talking about M-R, Rebecca mentioned that measles infection often led to serious complications that include blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhoea and severe respiratory infections like pneumonia. Most measlesrelated deaths were caused by complications associated with the disease and one-third of all measles-related deaths worldwide occurred in India, she pointed out. Rubella is comparatively a mild viral infection that occurs often in children and young adults. The infection is followed by rashes and low fever. It is also associated with swelling of lymph node and joint pain. Rubella infection during pregnancy can cause the child getting aborted in uterus, stillbirths and even may lead to multiple birth defects in the newborn like blindness, deafness and heart defects, known as Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS). (Cont’d on p-7)

Centre mulls allowing Khango’s return NEW DELHI, SEP 26 (AGENCIES): Centre has held meetings to discuss if Khango Konyak, former chairman of the NSCN (K), who was impeached and expelled by the Myanmarbased outfit could be allowed to enter India. In 2015, the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had approved banning the NSCN (K) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for five years. The NSCN (K) had ousted Khango Konyak accusing him of being an Indian agent. He had taken over as chairman of the NSCN (K) after the banned group’s leader S.S. Khaplang died in June 2017 in a Yangon hospital after a prolonged illness. Konyak, it is said, is somewhere along the Myanmar border waiting to hear from the Indian authorities.

“A meeting was held to discuss whether Konyak should be allowed to come to India as he was associated with a banned group. We have to see if he can be of any use to the authorities in terms of disintegrating the NSCN (K),” a senior government official told The Hindu. Yung Aung, the acting chairman of NSCN-K, is a relative of Khaplang and belongs to the Hemi Naga community, native to Myanmar. Indian agencies suspect he has close links with China. Confirming this, Nagaland’s deputy chief minister Y. Patton told The Hindu that they had sent messengers to speak to Konyak. “We are trying to bring him back to Nagaland… The problem is he has not made up his mind whether to remain with NSCN (K) or come back and join the ceasefire. We have appealed to NSCN (K) to also join the

ceasefire. Let us wait and see…we are on the job,” Patton said. “Konyak claims he has a large number of followers in NSCN (K) who are ready to desert the outfit and follow him. As per our information, he only has seven members with him. A realistic call will have to be taken on his return,” the official said. On August 16, a statement issued by the council’s headquarters in Myanmar’s Sagaing region — adjoining Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh — said it had “unanimously impeached” its chairman for violating “party discipline.” In 2015, militants belonging to the NSCN (K) killed 18 Army personnel in Chandel district of Manipur, following which the Indian Army carried out an operation in the bordering areas of Myanmar to destroy the extremist camps. K Y M C


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