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FriDAY • AUGUST 19 • 2016
DIMAPUR • Vol. XI • Issue 227 • 12 PAGes • 5
T H e
ESTD. 2005
P o W e R
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T R u T H
Teaching was the hardest work I had ever done, and it remains the hardest work I have done to date — Ann Richards TR Zeliang’s case: Appeal filed in HC
Suu Kyi assures China of solution to stalled dam PAGE 09
reflections
By Sandemo Ngullie
PAGE 05
Pre-Service teachers protest ‘backdoor appointments’ of primary teachers, suggests recruitment through “open competitive exams
Dimapur | August 18
ACAUT meets Standing Committee on Lokayukta Proposes 5-year “cooling off” period after retirement before a retired bureaucrat can be considered for office DIMAPUR, AUGUST 18 (MExN): The Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) Nagaland met members of the Standing Committee on Lokayukta, constituted by the NLA, at Kohima on August 17 and submitted the points to be included in the final draft of the Nagaland Lokayukta Act. A press note from the ACAUT informed that the Standing Committee led by its Chairman, Er. Livi Rengma, and members, namely, C. Apok Jamir, R. Tohanba, and Dr. TM Lotha, while expressing the dire need for a Nagaland Lokayukta Act at this juncture, also voiced apprehension that the body maybe misused for political vendetta. On its part, the ACAUT voiced apprehension that the Lokayukta “should not become another paper tiger like the State Vigilance Commission whereby even its suo moto power has been taken away with by the State Cabinet, an issue first raised by the NTC.” The Standing Committee was also apprised of the danger of senior bureaucrats on the verge of retirement lobbying for membership in the Lokayukta. Therefore, to discourage the political practice of rewarding loyal bureaucrats with membership in various constitutional and statutory bodies, the ACAUT proposed a “Cooling Off” period of at least 5 years after retirement before any retired bureaucrat could be considered for the august office. Meanwhile, the ACAUT also told the Committee the anti-corruption ombudsman has “nothing to do with Article 371 (A) and thus citing reason that Lokayukta violates article 371 (A) has no logical basis, the Article 371 (A) has been frequently misinterpreted to suit vested interest.” It expressed strongly that the Nagaland Lokayukta Act should truly satisfy the people of Nagaland; that it should be able to address the unfettered corruption taking place wantonly and with impunity. Dilution of the final Lokayukta draft being a serious concern, a request was put forward to the Committee that the final draft should be made public before it is passed in the coming Winter Session of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
PAGE 12
Cloudburst, floods wreak havoc in Backdoor system rengma and Karbi areas of Assam hampers nagaland Morung Express News
You’re either a missionary or a Politician. You can’t be both. Unless, of course, you’re a Naga.
Sakshi wins bronze to claim India’s first medal
Rengma Naga and Karbi villages in the extremely underdeveloped areas of Karbi Anglong, Assam, have been severely affected by floods due to a cloudburst in the wee hours of August 16. In the Rengma Naga areas of Assam (also known as Western Rengma areas), the floods have led to the destruction of houses and paddy fields while a four year old girl child drowned. The floods began at about 2:00am of August 16 after a cloudburst, leading to the swelling of the Khanari stream that flows through the Rengma Naga areas of Assam. The flooding began from Richangari village (Greater Khanari), spreading to Khanari village, Khonwani village, Ridongünyu village and Phentsero village. On the other side of the stream, Borlangso village was flooded. “People did not know about the cloudburst till the floods began to reach their houses in the early morning hours,” said Phenpiga H. Rengma, President of the Rengma Naga Students’ Union (RNSU), Karbi Anglong, Assam. As a result, while adults could escape somehow, four year old Shayen Nyenthang who could not run away from the flooding waters at Khonwani village drowned. Eight paddy fields in Khonwani were also washed away. Mean-
A flood affected region in the Rengma Naga areas of Karbi Anglong district in Assam.
while, three paddy fields were lost to the floods in Richangari, seven houses, 30 paddy fields, 29 cows and nine pigs drowned in Khanari with one water pump and the Lower Primary Government School washed away, three paddy fields went under water in Ridongünyu, 15 paddy fields drowned in Phentsero and a large number of chicken and pigs drowned in Borlangso with paddy fields washed away. Karbi villages in the area, namely Mai Gaon, Lakhiram Gaon and Hanse Gaon, were also badly affected by the flooding waters though the extent of damage is not immediately known. “People have now moved to higher ground and made temporary camps in the villages,” informed Rengma, from the little information the RNSU could access through the day.
Despite facing violent conflict in 2013 that could not be contained due to ill connectivity of the region and led to large scale internal displacement of people, the region has not been given much attention. Civil society organizations like the RNSU have been in discussions with the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) administration since August 17 in order to get medical and material relief to the area but lack of roads and communication technology has hampered their movement alongside timely and accurate information from the areas. A team led by the Assistant Revenue Officer of the KAAC left this morning to assess the ground situation but connection could not be established with them later in the day. A medical and veterinary team is expected to leave
for the affected areas soon, informed the RNSU President. “So far no relief materials could be provided to the people as the only road that connects these villages with the rest of the State is totally cut off due to the flooding river,” stated Aga Rengma, President of the Western Rengma Students’ Union, Nagaland (WRSUN) in a press release today. Both the RNSU and the WRSUN have requested government authorities to either clear the road at the earliest or consider dropping relief material by using helicopter services in case the roads cannot be immediately cleared. Further, all concerned citizens, governments and non government organizations have been requested to extend help in cash or kind to the affected villages.
Nagaland can be one of the most progressive states: Gov
CM urges Red Cross to join “Green Campaign” Our Correspondent Kohima | August 18
Nagaland State Governor, PB Acharya today said that Nagas have immense potential to forge ahead in diverse fields and become one of the most progressive states in the whole of India. Acharya, who is also president of Indian Red Cross Society Nagaland State Branch (IRCSN), in his presidential address at the 30th Annual General Meeting here today at Durbar Hall, Raj Bhavan said
that the senior citizens and retired government officials can contribute something to the society after their retirement by joining this voluntary noble society, i.e Red Cross Society. The Governor expressed his happiness over the contributions and services rendered by the Red Cross Society over the years and urged the society to have an agenda for the future instead of delivering stagnant service giving organization. Nagaland State Chief Minister, TR Zeliang, who is also the Vice President, IRCSN, in his address, expressed concern over global warming and climate
change that has been adversely affecting the present generation. Keeping in view the importance of combating climate change at the present context, Zeliang urged the Red Cross to join the “Green Campaign” and actively support the initiatives and interventions started by the government and non-governmental agencies. Further, the Chief Minister expressed happiness over the activities carried out and services rendered to the people in time of need by the society. He particularly expressed his happiness on the trainings imparted to
many volunteers to become the first medical responders in times of need. He also urged the Deputy Commissioners of the districts, being the Chairman of the District branches, to be more proactive in enrolment of new members and expand the vision and reach of IRCSN in their respective districts. Meanwhile, 13 patrons and 4 vice patrons from Dimapur, Peren, Kohima and Zunheboto districts were decorated during the programme. Earlier, IRCSN general secretary Dr. Kepelhousie Terhuja presented a brief report on the business session.
KOHIMA, AUGUST 18 (MExN): Members of the All Nagaland Pre-Service Teacher Association (ANPSTA) from Kohima, Dimapur, Mokokchung, Wokha, Zunheboto, Phek and Peren districts have written to Nagaland’s Commissioner & Secretary, Department of School Education (DoSE) and the Director of DoSE registering their protest against “back door appointments” of teachers as well as highlighting the need for recruitment of teachers through “open competitive exams.” These teachers stated that they have all passed the Nagaland Teacher Eligibility Test (N-TET) conducted in the years 2013 and 2016, and are eligible to be appointed as primary teachers in any school in Nagaland. The letter, signed by the ANPSTA Action Committee Convener Bendangsunep Longkumer and Vice-Convener Avi Ringa, asserted that despite having passed the N-TET, no selection process for recruiting any from among them as primary school teachers has been done nor have any of them been appointed on the basis of merit to the said post. This has been apprised to the authorities on several occasions, it was informed. Noting that “Many of the schools in our State are languishing due to shortage of teachers especially in the villages,” the Action Committee of the ANPSTA stated that “No examinations to fill up many vacancies caused by the retirement of teachers in the Primary Schools has been conducted which is detrimental to public interest
and the same compromises with the educational future of our nation in general, and our state in particular.” Backdoor appointments The Action Committee of the ANPSTA alleged that over the “last several years” the DoSE has been appointing primary teachers “back-door on contract/adhoc/ temporary basis in various schools in Nagaland without following the N-TET Guidelines and/or without conducting any selection process.” The teachers noted that such “pick and choose policy” has denied them the right to equal opportunity as enshrined in Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India. In that, the teachers called for “all such appointments” to be “immediately cancelled/terminated” and recruitment made as per the provisions of the Constitution of India. The body reminded that the DoSE had “frozen” the filling of posts falling vacant due to retirement, death, resignation, termination etc. from May 1, 2013. Such posts were notified to be transferred to deficit schools till such time the required Pupil Teacher Ratio (25:1) is attained in all schools in Nagaland. The recruitment to these would be made through the N-TET. However, the ANPSTA alleged that the above mentioned notification was used as a means to “facilitate the rampant backdoor appointments” by DoSE. It demanded for all “back-door appointments” and “regularization” attempts of such appointees since 2013 be “set aside” and recruitment be conducted as per law. The Action Committee also stated that if the representation to the DoSE is not considered within a period of 15 days, the ANPSTA will have to seek redressal before an appropriate court of law.
MDTOA demand repair of Mkg-Mariani highway MOKOKCHUNG, AUGUST 18 (MExN): The Mokokchung District Truck Owners Association (MDTOA) has written to the PWD National Highway appealing for repairs of National Highway between Mokokchung and Mariani Road. In a representation, the MDTOA pointed out that the National Highway between Mokokchung and Mariani road
is the lifeline of Mokokchung, Tuensang and Zunheboto. It lamented that the road condition has worsened and heavy vehicles are now unable to ply on it. It informed that over 500 to 700 heavy vehicles ply daily. It cautioned that failure to repair the road would compel the association to initiate a ‘chakka bandh’ on the said highway.
cnA meets Myanmar Vice Prez DIMAPUR, AUGUST 18 (MExN): The Council for Naga Affairs (CNA), an apex Naga body in Myanmar today informed that it met with the Myanmar Vice President Henry Van Thio to brief him on the ground situation in the disease hit Naga areas on Myanmar. The CNA apprised the Vice President on the need for basic necessities in the region such as transportation, education, health care, education, communication
and rural development program. The Vice President assured CNA to put the agenda in the emergency cabinet meeting. In addition, he assured that he would focus on Chin State and Eastern Nagaland, Myanmar during his term for development. The CNA further requested that the concerned authorities and CSOs maintain accountability and transparency in terms receiving of donations and expenditures meant for victims of the disease.
Dmp railway station development stalled due to pending court case Morung Express News Dimapur | August 18
Widening works of railway lines no 2 and 3 at Dimapur railway station have been stalled owing to a status quo order passed by the district court following a case filed by some parties who were evicted by railway authorities. Addressing media persons on Thursday, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Lumding, NF Railway, Pankaj Jain said that around 50 households inside railway land were evicted in a “proper manner” along with magistrates and police. “But around 15-16 households who were in possession of land pattas illegally issued by the state government had filed a case in the court which ordered status quo,” he said and added that entire works have been stalled owing to the order. Pankaj said that the state govern-
ment was to submit a written statement to the court regarding its position on the case by August 31, 2016. The railway authorities have appealed the Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee and Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee to help the railways with the land problem. Railway authorities have also appealed the public for their support to uplift and develop the Dimapur railway station. The DRM pointed out that several other developmental activities have been taken up at the railway station such as installing two water coolers, construction of more retiring rooms, upper class AC halls, opening of Unreserved Ticketing System centre, placing more dustbins etc. Upon query by media persons regarding unhygienic toilets in trains originating from Dimapur railway station, the railway officials present
assured to look into the issue. Further, Pankaj said the railways have a long-term plan to shift the current goods yard to Rangapahar. Earlier, Pankaj Jain inaugurated the Upper Class AC Waiting Hall at the railway station.
Reward for best suggestion
The North East Frontier Railway, Lumding has announced a suitable reward for best suggestion for improvement of passenger amenities and facelift of Dimapur Railway Station. The Railways have solicited such suggestions from any individuals, NGOs, entrepreneurs, civil authorities etc to be accompanied with photographs and drawings, if required, and submit it to the Divisional Railway Manager, Lumding NF Railway or email it to dimapurrail@gmail. com within August 30, 2016.
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