C M Y K
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DIMAPUR • Vol. XI • Issue 101 • 12 PAGes • 5
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thursDAY • APrIL 14 • 2016
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Withhold assent to NBTC Bill 2016: ENSF request Nagaland Governor DIMAPUR, APRIL 13 (MExN): The Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (ENSF) has requested the Nagaland Governonr PB Acharya to “kindly withhold” his assent to the Nagaland Backward Tribes Commission Bill, 2016 which was passed during the 11th session of the 12th Nagaland Legislative Assembly. An ENSF press statement said the NBTC Bill was discussed, examined and debated by the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organization (ENPO), Eastern Nagaland Legislatures Union (ENLU), Eastern Nagaland Gazetted Officers’ Association (ENGOA), Eastern Nagaland Women’s Organization (ENWO) and the ENSF and all the prominent leaders of Eastern Nagaland during a joint meeting held on April 12, at DUDA Guest House, Kohima. The Federation stated that the NBTC was borne out of demand made by it owing to the fact that despite having the Reservation Policy for decades, the Government departments failed to implement the said policy and various injustices were meted out by successive governments. However regretting that the NBTC Bill has been “watered down and diluted,” the Federation has requested the Governor to withhold his assent to the Bill till such time it is acceptable to the six tribes of Eastern Nagaland.
NCSU to boycott Mayatas and Gayatri NH fourlaning project Says company must first complete the projects under SARDP Phase-1 in Nagaland DIMAPUR, APRIL 13 (MExN): The Nagaland Contractors’ & Suppliers’ Union (NCSU) on Wednesday declared that it will not allow Mayatas and Gayatri (JV) to execute the fourlaning of Dimapur-Kohima National Highway project until the firm complete the 4 projects under SARDP Phase-1 in Nagaland. The 4 projects in question include construction of two laning road of Longleng – Changtongya road; Mon – TamluMerangkong road, Phek – Pfütsero road, and Zunheboto – Chakhabama road. The reaction from the NCSU comes in the backdrop of the announcement that Mayatas and Gayatri (JV) had bagged a work order worth Rs 340 crore from the Government of India for four-laning of the Dimapur-Kohima road. The NCSU, in a representation addressed to the Minister of Road Transport and Highway, Nitin Gadkhari, said it has been overwhelmed with the announcement of the fourlaning of the Dimapur-Kohima National Highway. It however expressed astonishment that the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had awarded the work order to the firm despite its failure to to complete the 4 projects under SARDP Phase-I in Nagaland.
ACAUT to NBSE: Set another date for NSEE 2016 exams
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— Evo Morales
Man City wins to reach its first Champions League semi-finals
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STILL NO TEXTBOOKS! 6.9 quake hits North East, Lapse in delivery of primary texts book is a matter of corruption of most diabolical nature: ACAUT Nagaland Dimapur | April 13
Students from a Government Primary School seen in their classroom in a remote village under Tuensang district. Learning process for the young students in more than 2000 Government Primary Schools in Nagaland has been greatly affected due to delay in supply of textbooks to the students. (Photo: Imojen Jamir)
the government, any firm handling the printing and supply of school textbooks should provide the study materials from day one of the academic session. It remains uncertain as to why the Nagaland State Government, or the Minister of School Education, continue to remain silent on the matter. According to a primary school teacher, the firm engaged for supplying the textbooks apparently seems to be “least bothered” of the State Government or the students “as to when it will provide the study materials.” DoSE officials had earlier washed their hands off the textbook issue while stating that “things were being handled by higherups.” It was also informed that the said firm handling the printing and publishing was reportedly recommended by the Education Minister. According to an official of the Education Department, the issue of the delay
of textbook is another manifestation of the cavernous corruption riddling the department. Textbooks for even classes 5-8 were supplied only in March. “Citizens ought to be earnestly concerned and they should demand answers or file RTI on the department. The extent of corruption in the department is scary,” the official, on condition of anonymity, said.
ACAUT Nagaland for suo motu action
Meanwhile, Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) Nagaland said the “incompetency and mismanagement” of the Education Department was becoming almost “legendary” only to be matched by the “legendary tolerance” of the Naga people. Expressing worry that the children of Government Primary schools have still not received textbooks for the year 2016, when the first quarter of the year is almost over, ACAUT Media
Cell in a press statement said “this lapse in delivery of primary texts book on time is a matter of corruption in most diabolical nature.” It lamented that the Department of School Education (DoSE) has become a “sick department mired in every conceivable form of corruption- nepotism, back door appointment, non-payment of salary, mid-day meal scam, nonfunction of government schools, non- release of text books, bogus- proxy teachers etc.” In this, ACAUT urged the Nagaland Government to look into the matter with utmost urgency and initiate a thorough inquiry into it and take stringent action against those responsible for it, to ensure that future of children is not jeopardized. It also noted that the State Vigilance Commission must take suo motu action over the matter, in order to show that it is indeed doing its job.
Assam Police attempt to construct road at Rilan
Image showing Assam Police attempting to construct a road at Rilan Village. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News Dimapur | April 13
An apparent attempt to construct a road at Rilan village, Dimapur by the Assam Police personnel was stopped after the Dimapur District Administration intervened. Alarm was raised today after Rilan villagers detected the attempted construction of an approach road to Rilan from National Highway (NH) 36. The construction had started from the Assam side of the interstate border and into Rilan village territory after crossing the Lengri stream, which is traditionally regarded as the boundary between Rilan and Dillai in Assam. The start point of the
Morung Express News Dimapur | April 13
Morung Express News The Department of School Education is in a thick soup with the textbooks for the Government Primary School section yet to reach the hands of the students. The textbooks meant for the Government Primary School of class 1-4 has already been delayed for three months now, with the business firm responsible for the printing and supply of the study materials stalling again and again. The last assurance provided by the firm, one ‘Unique Enterprise’ was to supply all the remaining consignment of the textbooks on or before April 10. This was informed by the Director and Additional Director of DoSE to The Morung Express on April 6, 2016 while mentioning that even a written assurance was received from the firm. However, as on Wednesday, April 13, it was learnt that the textbook consignment was yet to be supplied. A source from the District Education Office, Dimapur informed that the Additional Director of DoSE, who came down to Dimapur on Wednesday to meet the supplier and enquire on the delay, had to return to Kohima disappointed. He could not even meet the agent of the firm. There are more than 2000 Government Primary Schools in Nagaland and they, sadly, continue to remain impaired without textbooks. This, while the first quarterly assessment is just around the corner. According to norms of
Myanmar and Bangladesh
road was adjacent to the Assam Police check post at Dillai and was being constructed with armed Assam Police personnel on guard. It was halted only after the Dimapur district administration intervened. Deputy Commissioner, Dimapur told The Morung Express that he called up his Karbi-Anglong counterpart and informed of the development. The Dimapur DC reportedly asked his counterpart to respect the ongoing negotiations as regards the border issue between Assam and Nagaland and the case pending at the Supreme Court. Following the conversation, the Karbi Anglong DC reportedly passed orders to subordinates to stop halt the work.
UNTABA urge CM to restore transferred Naga lands
Meanwhile, the United Naga Tribes Association on Border Areas (UNTABA) has urged the Nagaland Government to immediately initiate steps to demand for “the complete implementation of Points No. 12 & 13 of ‘16 Point Agreement’ of 1960 so as to restore all the transferred Reserve Forests and Naga territories illegally occupied by Assam for all these years to Nagaland state.” UNTABA, in a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister TR Zeliang on Wednesday highlighted that it has been sincerely exploring all possible ini-
tiative towards the resolution of the “most contentious border issue” that has been confronting the Naga people even after more than five decades of attainment of statehood. In this regard, the Association said it has implored the Government of India through the Prime Minister Office and the RN Ravi Interlocutor for the Indo-Naga peace talks on what basis the Indo-Naga political imbroglio can be resolved. “We have presented an unambiguous stand that the Naga lands that was alienated to its rightful ownership should be brought back to Naga people as agreed in the ‘9 Point Agreement’ of June 27-29, 1947 in Kohima between the Naga people, the then Naga National Council (NNC) and the Emissaries of the Interim Government of India Akbar Hydari Ali, the then Governor of Assam and GN Bordoloi, the then Premier of Assam, wherein all the 22 transferred Reserved Forests and all the contiguous Naga inhabited areas are committed to be consolidated into Nagaland,” UNTABA said in the memorandum. However, it alleged that instead of seriously concentrating on this core issue of the Naga people, the successive Government of Nagaland since the inception of Nagaland statehood had completely diverted the issue by shifting its own responsibility to elsewhere.
in Jalukie said. “I was wondering what could have been the consequences if a more powerful earthquake had occurred,” he added. All over Dimapur City, people rushed out to the streets as the tremor hit, some lingering on much after the tremor, fearing aftershocks. On April 10 last, six people were killed in Pakistan after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake centered near neighboring Afghanistan’s border with Tajikistan rattled major cities across South Asia. The tremor was also felt in parts of India. In January 4, 2016, an earthquake measuring 6.7 magnitude struck North East India, near its borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh, killing at least nine people from Manipur and Bangladesh.
The people of Nagaland were jolted out of their evening reverie when a strong tremor with its epicentre in the Myanmar-India border region hit the eastern part of India. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the 6.9-magnitude quake hit 74km South East of Mawlaik, Myanmar occurred at the depth of 134.8 km. An official in from Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) told The Morung Express the tremor was felt all over the State. IANS also reported that the tremor was felt across all the North Eastern States as well as northern and southern districts of West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand. At least six people were injured in Manipur at the NSDMA issues advisory: Don’t Panic time of filing the story. In a laudable act, the NSDMA toll-free As the earthquake hit the surface, peoemergency line was answered immediple scurried out on to streets in panic. ately when The Morung Kevilonuo, a resiExpress gave it a call afdent of Kohima, was • At least six people ter the tremor. After an cutting vegetables to initial assessment, the cook dinner when the injured in Manipur NSDMA issued a pubtremor occurred. • PM Modi assures all lic advisory urging peo“I run up and down ple not to panic but be the stairs holding the possible assistance to remain alert for afterknife and went outside • For any assistant pubshocks and take safety holding the same.” In measures for families panic she also forget to lic may contact State turn off the stove and got Emergency Operations and communities. “The NSDMA got in nice scolding for that, Center (SEOC) @ 1070. touch with all the Disshe added. trict Disaster ManageWith frequent occurrence of such earthquakes in recent ment Authority (DDMAs) and the State Ditimes, some religious people have given it a saster Response Force (SDRFs) Units and doomsday angle. Some people reportedly reported no damages to property and lives,” said they felt tremors in the morning too. it added. The school authorities and other Social media comments were full of such as- public and private offices are also advised to practices their mock drill in their own sumptions. While everyone was shouting and campuses for safety, it said. “With frequent occurrences of earthcoming out, some people in my colony were saying, Praise the Lord, Praise the quakes, it is best for everyone to be preLord, during and after the tremors, anoth- pared with safety measures by building safe houses with earthquakes resistant er Kohima resident added. “I was sitting in my house yard and technology and confirming to Nagaland jumped up saying ‘Hoi Hoi,’ Tia, a Teacher building bylaws” it added.
Nagaland CM calls on Union Ministers for Kohima Smart City and other projects Story on page 5