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wednesdAY • APRIL 06 • 2016
DIMAPUR • Vol. XI • Issue 93 • 12 PAGes • 5
T H e
ESTD. 2005
P o W e R
o F
We can be of many nations, but earth is our land. We can be of many races, but we are just one clan Panama Papers probes opened, China limits access to news on leaks
PRADHAN MANTRI FASAL BIMA YOJANA
PAGe 09
reflections
By Sandemo Ngullie
T R u T H
— Ricardo Derose
Italy prosecutor seeks six-month jail term for Conte – lawyer
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Nagaland gets NE’s first apparel making centre Morung Express News Dimapur | April 5
Chances of us ever seeing Dimapur is zero, but keep looking a road might slither out of those hills.
75 villages in Nagaland remain un-electrified KohIMA, APRIL 5 (MExN): Out of 1,401 habitations/villages in Nagaland State, 1326 habitations/villages have been electrified in the state. 75 habitation/villages are yet to be electrified, according to the Nagaland Economic Survey 2015-16 brought out by State Economics & Statistics Department. In percentage terms, 94.64 per cent of the habitation/ villages in the state were electrified. Correspondingly, the percentage of un-electrified villages was 5.35 per cent in 2014-15 as against 5.85 per cent unelectrified habitations/villages in 2013-14.
NNC (NA) kilo kilonser passes away; condolence offered DIMAPUR, APRIL 5 (MExN): The NNC (NonAccordist) has expressed its condolence on the demise of its Kilo Kilonser, Hethena Kinnimi. Expressing pain and grief, a condolence message from the MIP of the NNC (N/A) described Late Hethena as a dedicated and sincere Naga leader who devoted all his life for the cause of the Naga nation. In his death, the Nagas have lost a tall figure in the history of the Naga struggle, the MIP stated. The entire rank and file of NNC (N/A), joining the family at this hour of grief, has prayed for eternal peace of the departed leader.
Nagaland covers only 48% under Mission Indradhanush
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NEW DELhI, APRIL 5 (IANS): Nagaland reported only 48 percent immunisation in two phases of the Mission Indradhanush programme, which aims to immunise children and pregnant women against seven dreaded diseases. According to the health ministry, Nagaland had one of the poorest performances in comparison to other Indian states in the first two phases of Mission Indradhanush rolled out in 2014 and 2015. “Mission Indradhanush has been very poor in northeast India. Nagaland had only 48 percent of coverage. The geographical conditions in the northeastern states are challenging,” said additional health secretary C.K Mishra. The objective of this mission is to ensure that all children under the age of two years as well as pregnant women are fully immunised against seven vaccine preventable diseases -- Diphtheria, Pertussis (Whooping Cough), Tetanus, Tuberculosis, Polio, Hepatitis B and Measles.
The North East region’s first apparel manufacturing centre was inaugurated in Nagaland State today. The Apparel & Garment Making Centre (AGMC), funded by the Union Ministry of Textiles was inaugurated today at the District Industries Centre Complex, 6th Mile, Dimapur by Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of State for Textiles (Independent Charge). A venture of the Textile Ministry’s Integrated Skill Development Scheme (ISDS) for the textiles and apparel sector, the project was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the state in December 2014. It is part of an ambitious mission of the Central government to establish an apparel making centre in every state of the North East with Nagaland as the first to have the centre established in the region. According to a brief on the working scheme of the AGMC, it has three units – two for production and one for skilling to be operated on “plug and play mode” for a period of three years.
(LEFT) Minister of State for Textiles (Independent Charge) Santosh Kumar Gangwar and Nagaland State Chief Minister, TR Zeliang at the inauguration of the apparel manufacturing centre in Dimapur today. (RIGHT) A view of the Apparel & Garment Making Centre.
The firms (beneficiaries) selected to use the facilities will exit after the expiry of the three-year period. The firms selected for the period are The Connect Studio, Pinnacle Creations and Gurgaon-based Technopak Advisor’s Pvt. Ltd. The latter of three will focus on skill development and training. It envisages involving a total of 600 workers and trainees. Wholly independent of government control, the production units will use the facility for commercial production for the open
market employing its own artisans or workers. It can also be used for converting locally produced handloom fabrics into fashion garments. Gangwar in his address shared a vision of turning Nagaland into a hub of garments manufacturing while aiding revenue generation in the state. “People think it is small, but there is much potential in the sector and we want to take it ahead,” he said, adding that the Central government is visualising to turn a 17 billion dollar garments sec-
tor into a 75 billion dollar industry. Stating promotion of entrepreneurship in garment making as key to this direction, he said that the project looks towards employing local entrepreneurs. Terming sericulture as another area where Nagaland shows potential, he said that the Central government has sanctioned three sericulture projects which will support silk production of the Eri, Muga and Mulberry variety from rearing to marketing. It is targeted to assist around
5000 farmers. “Development of apparel is closely attached to the development of handlooms in the region and we want to take them beyond the borders and showcase them to the world.” He expressed confidence that projects targeting employment generation would empower the youth of the region to set up independent business enterprise rather than look for jobs in the mainland. Gangwar also laid the foundation stone for a Muga P3 Basic Seed Station
at Kobulong, Mokokchung, and launched the newly approved Integrated Eri Silk Development Project under NERTPS for women empowerment and sustainable livelihood in Kohima district. Nagaland State Chief Minister, TR Zeliang while terming the setting up of the AGMC as “a milestone in the chronology of the economic development of Nagaland” expressed confidence that the facility will go a long way in empowering the youth and promoting entrepreneurship.
“Our people produced cotton but this tradition is disappearing today. Yet our youth have keen interest in fashion designing and fashion technology. I hope this centre will become a breeding ground of many successful entrepreneurs.” He further asked the farmers to revive the production of traditional cotton in the state. Zeliang had also underlined the need for a hostel attached to the AGMC for trainees in reply to which Gangwar assured to provide the necessary sanction.
SC favours JACWR on implementation of reservation ACAUT wants biometric EVMS for Nagaland Morung Express News Dimapur | April 5
Naga women appear to be on the verge of a victory on the issue of 33 percent seat reservation for women in the municipal councils and town councils - a fight which has been in the court of law for years. In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ‘revived’ the 2011 ruling of the single bench Guahati High Court of Kohima which had ruled in favour of the Joint Action Committee on Women Reservation (JACWR) and directed the Nagaland State Government to conduct elections to local bodies with implementation of 33% reservation for women. The 2011 ruling had quashed the decision of Nagaland Cabinet of postponing the elections in Municipal & Town councils while observing that, “…Issue of reservation of seats for Women in Municipal Councils and Town Coun-
cils and the ongoing peace process in the State have, if at all, a tenuous link. There was no material before the Cabinet that if elections are held there will be break down of law and order in the State…” The SC has stayed the order of the division bench of Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench of July 31, 2012 which had challenged the 2011 ruling and asked the state government to set up a committee to look into the claims and directed the municipal elections be suspended till the committee gave its recommendations. However, Nagaland government had refused to accede to the demands by withholding elections to local bodies, citing Naga customs and possible violence derailing the ongoing peace process. The state counsel had argued in court that the authorities tried to hold elections in one of the 19 councils (Mokokchung Town Council) on May 7, 2011, which was marred by large-scale violence which
forced the state to cancel the election. JACWR then had filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court against the Gauhati High Court Division Bench order, which put elections to the municipal/town councils in Nagaland on hold. Dr Rosemary Dzüvichu, advisor to Naga Mothers Association (NMA) and one of the petitioners, confirmed the news to The Morung Express. “We could not be there in person during the ruling today, however our lawyer Colin Gonsalves informed us of the judgment,” Dr Dzüvichu stated. The hearing was held at Court No-2 of the SC by a three bench judges in New Delhi. The SC also admitted the petition challenging the Nagaland Legislative Assembly decision that Nagaland should be exempted from the Part IX-A (Municipalities) of the Constitution while stating that it goes against Article 371-A of the Constitution. Dr Dzüvichu while hail-
ing Tuesday’s ruling as a landmark judgment in the fight for implementation of the 33% reservation said the closing judgment into the issue will be revealed once the hearing to the second petition is heard and disposed off. The hearing is expected to in a few days, possibly next Tuesday, the NMA advisor stated. The JACWR was formed in June 2011 by Naga women organisations of all tribes following the failure of the State Government to hold the long overdue municipal elections and implement 33 percent women reservation as per the Nagaland Municipal Act First Amendment, 2006. Only recently, in what appears to be a reconciliatory gesture, Nagaland Government through the voice of Chief Minister TR Zeliang had appealed to the women folks to accept 25% nomination to the Urban Local Bodies with full voting rights on an experimental basis to begin with.
DIMAPUR, APRIL 5 (MExN): The Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) Nagaland today lent full support to the Chief Electoral Officer’s initiative to clean up the state’s E-Roll. Proposing that the ECI adopt Nagaland as a pilot project State to implement its clean E-Roll agenda, it further asked the ECI to consider introducing biometric EVMs during the next assembly elections in the State. “For starters, the State Election Commission should issue notices to all the government servants working in the Nagaland Civil Secretariat, Kohima, to immediately delete their multiple entries of names,” it added. A press note from the ACAUT stated bogus and multiple entries of names in the E-Roll is the “root of corruption in the State.” It said that both the Census 2011 figures as well as the E-Roll numbers are “incorrect,” while claiming that census population of Nagaland “cannot be more than 12 lakhs and the E-roll cannot be more than 7 lakhs.” “Any individual having more than 2 names in the E-Roll should be prosecuted and jailed as per the Representation of People’s Act. So far the State Election Commission
has failed to apply the full force of the law,” it added. The ACAUT said that village councils and chieftains/GBs are the “true repository of power at the village level” and hence the election commission “should reach out to this sector if at all clean E-Roll is to be a success.” Stating that solely depending on block level officer (BLOs) “will not bring about clean E-Roll,” the ACAUT said “no BLO can delete names in the E-Roll without incurring the wrath of the village councils.” It further urged unemployed youths drawn from all over the State “should be empanelled to assist the BLOs in identification of bogus/ multiple entries of names and ghost households.” The ACAUT also demanded that names of illegal immigrants should be struck off immediately and “illegal immigrants cannot be allowed to exercise political power.” While calling for the Aadhar Card to be “compulsorily linked to E-Roll,” it asked the ECI to appeal to the Supreme Court to make an exception for Nagaland, “given the state’s unenviable inflated E-Roll position.”
Chare town in darkness for 20 days SC asks BCCI to reveal funds given
to Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura
With no electricity, students worried with exam just around the corner
DIMAPUR, APRIL 5 (MExN): Citizens of Chare Town under Tuensang district has been living in the dark since March 17 after its transformer broke down and is yet to be replaced or repaired. A village electricity committee formed under the communitization programme transported the transformer to Dimapur for repair after collecting some amount from every household but there is still no news when it will restored, L Tia Sangtam, a concerned citizen of Chare town informed. Assurances were given that the power supply will be restored within a week but there is still no electricity in sight, Sangtam said. In the mist of the electricity blackout, students studying in the four educational institutions in the town are worried because their quarterly exam just around the corner. The stu-
Trying to concentrate on their studies under candle light in Chare town as a consequence of the breakdown of its transformer. (Photo: L Tia Sangtam)
dents are now confined to reading under the dim candlelight. However, the problem is not just about concentration to study under the candle light. “Many of the families here even can’t afford to buy candles for their children to study. Just imagine what it will do to the career of the students,” Sangtam pointed out. Looking for a way to impress upon the concerned department or those in the electricity committee to hasten in restoring electricity, Sangtam took
an image of students studying under the candle from his mobile camera and mailed it to the print media. “I thought the picture on how students are bearing the brunt of the power outage will speak to the authorities to take notice and restore the electricity at the earliest, the concerned citizen voiced out. Sangtam said there are more than 200 household in Chare town and this is not the first time that they have had to endure such long power blackouts.
NEW DELhI, APRIL 5 (AGENCIES): The Supreme Court today asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to reveal details of funds the BCCI has allocated to the states like Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura in the past five years. India’s apex court slammed the BCCI and accused it of doing nothing to develop cricket in the country. The BCCI came in for sharp criticism after it informed the apex court that allocation of funds to eleven states was zero. In a scathing attack on the activities of the cricket board, the apex court said, “BCCI has created a mutually beneficial society.” Questioning why eleven states were penniless, the court observed that the BCCI must have distribu-
tive justice. Why should these states go begging? the top court asked. “You (BCCI) have allocated Rs 480 crore in one year to state cricket associations for the development of cricketing infrastructure. In the past 20 years, more than Rs 2000 crore have been given approximately. “Have you monitored these funds as how it is being utilized. There is no credible monitoring mechanism to look at whether even infrastructure has been created or not,” a bench headed by Chief Justice of India TS Thakur had said. Criticising BCCI’s funds allocation process, the SC observed that funds have been distributed without a rationale like a “mutually beneficial society”. The apex governing body for cricket in the country sub-
mitted a list of funds to the SC that it had disbursed to state bodies over the last five years. The list shows that BCCI had not given any funds to eleven state cricket associations, including Bihar, during the period. “BCCI must have distributive justice, why are eleven states penniless? Why should these states go begging?,” the SC bench asked lawyers representing BCCI. The BCCI has 30 cricket body members, four associate members and three affiliate members. “Impression one gets is that once BCCI gives money to state boards without any rationale, they in a way corrupt them,” the SC observed during the hearing. The bench also questioned the procedure for fund allocation and whether it was done on face value.