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FriDAY • julY 29 • 2016
DIMAPUR • Vol. XI • Issue 207 • 12 PAGes • 5
T H e
ESTD. 2005
P o W e R
o F
T R u T H
People often get upset when you teach them what is in the Bible rather than what they presume is in the Bible — N. T. Wright Obama urges Americans to get behind Clinton
Nagaland CM briefed on ICAR-NRC on mithun
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By Sandemo Ngullie
Stop behaving like our government and START!
NSCBEU to join all Indian Bank strike on July 29
Rescued minor children repatriated to Imphal DIMAPUR, JULY 28 (MExN): Under the initiative of District Child Protection Officer, Phek District, two minors hailing from Manipur and rescued from Meluri in 2014 was repatriated to CWC, East Imphal by a joint team of CWC, DCPU and SJPU, Phek on July 22, 2016. A press note from DCPO Phek, Samuel Kapu informed that the two minors were staying at Vesa Shelter Home, Chetheba, Phek District for rehabilitation since September 19, 2014. Effort to trace the relatives of the two children in coordination with CWC, East Imphal has been unsuccessful so far. Observing that it is best for the two minor to be under the care and protection of CWC, East Imphal while further efforts is carried out to trace their relatives, the child protection team from Nagaland in coordination with the State governments handed the children to CWC, East Imphal in the presence of DCPO, Imphal Manipur, the press note stated.
Gossip is verbal terrorism: Pope WARSAW, JULY 28 (IANS/AKI): Speaking ill of others and hurting them with cruel language is “the terrorism of words”, Pope Francis said on Thursday. “Gossip is the terrorism of worlds, insulting ones heart, dignity and in this young person’s case, nationality,” Francis told participants at the World Youth Day celebrations, quoted by Vatican Radio. He was replying to a question from a girl who asked him how she could forgive bullies who drove her to attempt suicide after she arrived in Italy six years ago with limited knowledge of the language.
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Parliament passes bill for afforestation fund
reflections
DIMAPUR, JULY 28 ( M E x N ) : The Nagaland State Co-operative Bank Employee’s Union (NSCBEU) will participate in the proposed all Indian Bank strike by United Forum of Bank Union (UFBU) on July 29, Friday. A press release issued by NSCBEU assistant general secretary, Joshua Swu informed that the strike is being called against the proposed anti labour amendment laws, opposing the move of the Government towards privatization of public sector banks and demand for stringent action against willful defaulters towards recovery of NPAs. In this regard, the NSCBEU has requested customers of the Bank to bear with the union in the event of the July 29 strike.
NADA postpones verdict on Narsingh’s doping case
A girl child, who came early to the school, enjoyed a swing ride at the playground just outside her school at Khonoma village before the school began. (Morung Photo)
Defamation cases should not be used as a weapon: SC
NEW DELHI, JULY 28 (PTI): The Supreme Court today said defamation cases should not be used as a political counter weapon against critics of governments and stayed non-bailable warrants (NBW) issued against DMDK Chief and actor politician Vijayakanth and his wife Premlata in such a matter. “Anyone calling a government corrupt or unfit cannot be slapped with defamation case,” a bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and R F
Nariman said. The apex court further said, “there has to be tolerance to criticism...defamation cases cannot be used as a political counter weapon. Cases for criticizing the government or bureaucrats create a chilling effect.” The penal provision on defamation (section 499 and 500 of the IPC) should not be used to throttle dissent, the bench said, adding that the court must step in, if there are continuous efforts to harass persons by filing a
number of defamation cases. A Tirupur trial court had yesterday issued a non-bailable warrant against Vijayakanth and his wife after they failed to appear before the court with regard to the defamation case against them. The case lodged by Public Prosecutor of Tirupur district was on the allegation that they made false remarks against Jayalalithaa and criticised the functioning of the State government on November 6, 2015.
NEW DELHI, JULY 28 (IANS): Paving the way to unlock Rs 40,000 Crore funds to establish corpus at the national and state levels to pay for afforestation activities, the Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the Compensatory Afforestation Bill, 2015. “We are giving money to those who have lost in the race of development,” Anil Madhav Dave, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, told the upper house. The bill seeks to create a Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) and a Compensatory Afforestation Fund for both states and the Centre. Each state will get its share in the funds. “When I talk about jungle, it has two components: Tribals living in the forest and the animals. When we say Scheduled Tribes, forests and wildlife are attached. We are habituated to seeing it in compartments,” Dave said. The funds will be primarily spent to compensate for loss of forest cover, regeneration of forest eco-
system, wildlife protection and infrastructure development. Of the fund corpus, the Centre will get 10 per cent and the remaining will be distributed among the states. This is one of the major amendments to the earlier version of the bill. In 2013, the share of the states was increased nine-fold to 90 per cent. The Comptroller and Auditor General though took a note of the lack of preparedness among the state forest authorities to utilise the funds. Odisha will receive the highest Rs 5,996 crore. The funds for 13 other states have been fixed, depending on their respective forest covers and other projects. The remaining states will receive Rs 1,000 crore each. Among other states, Andhra Pradesh will receive Rs 2,223 crore, Arunachal Pradesh Rs 1,462 crore, Chhattisgarh Rs 3,861 crore, Gujarat Rs 1,100 crore, Himachal Pradesh Rs 1,395 crore, Jammu and Kashmir Rs 926 crore, Jharkhand Rs 3,099 crore, Karnataka Rs 917 crore, Madhya Pradesh Rs 3,460 crore, Maharash-
tra Rs 2,435, Rajashtan Rs 1,425, Uttar Pradesh Rs 1,314 crore and Uttarakhand Rs 2,210 crore. Former Environment Minister and Rajya Sabha member Jairam Ramesh earlier sought amendment to the clause that stressed on disbursement and utilisation of the funds by the states. However, he withdrew the amendment later. “Normally, I would have moved this amendment but in view of the written assurance by the minister that the spirit of the amendment will be reflected in the rules and that if the rules are insufficient, he will come back in one year’s time, I am withdrawing it,” Ramesh said. He said his amendment sought to ensure that the CAMPA funds are used wisely. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha in May. Dave’s predecessor and now Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar, while presenting the report card of the Environment Ministry in May, held the unlocking of the limited funds under the CAF Bill as one of his major achievements.
NPRAAF gets Tourism nagaland observes World Hepatitis day Dept to be accountable Call for addressing Mylan CSR project
DIMAPUR, JULY 28 (MExN): The Nagaland Public Rights Awareness Forum (NPRAAF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Parliamentary Secretary, Tourism, and Department of Tourism of the Government of Nagaland in order to make the Department more accountable to the public. A press note from the Information & Publicity Cell of the NPRAAF informed today that NPRAAF officials had a meeting with Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, Apok C. Jamir at his office chamber in Kohima on July 27. Following this, the “two sides” agreed on an MoU, following also a “series of meetings” with various Department officials including the Director, KT Thomas and two Assistant Directors, V Doulo and I Temjen Ao on various occasions. In the MoU, as per the NPRAAF, the Parliamentary Secretary agreed to initiate taking over of “all tourism infrastructures already constructed but yet to be handed over to the Department/Government within 45 days.” The NPRAAF had earlier pointed out that there were many infrastructures lying unused owing to unknown reasons but still under the authority of certain individuals/landowners. It was also ‘agreed’ that “henceforth, all clearance/ utilization certificates of infrastructural development would be issued jointly by the Engineering Wing and the Tourist Officer concerned.” The Parliamentary Secretary further reportedly stated that “any deputation service sought by the Department would be declared open for competition and be filled within one year from the date of utilizing that deputation
service.” The NPRAAF noted that this ‘policy’ seeks to provide opportunity for other unemployed qualified youth to vie for government jobs. The press note from NPRAAF also stated that the Parliamentary Secretary ‘agreed’ to “stop absorption policy except on extreme exigencies since such policy becomes a bane for educated unemployed youth as it denies them any available opportunity to compete for jobs.” Moreover, informed the Forum, the Parliamentary Secretary “agreed to completely stop ‘absorption along with post’ in order to create job opening in the Tourism Department.” The Parliamentary Secretary is also stated to have agreed “not to allow further privatization of Tourist Lodges in the state as such privatization was not contributing much to the treasury.” He also “agreed to designate 12 senior most Tourist Officers as District Tourism Officer which can be arranged without financial implications” that is “in line with the Department’s Service Rule of 12 sanctioned posts of Tourist Officers.” The Department of Tourism also clarified “irregular appointments and promotions to Tourist Officers.” However, while some cases remain unclear and were assured necessary action, the Parliamentary Secretary “categorically assured that under his leadership, there shall be no backdoor appointments.” The NPRAAF appreciated the Parliamentary Secretary and maintained that it will “periodically monitor the commitment made by the Parliamentary Secretary in the interest of justice,” while also assuring its “support and cooperation” to the Department.
government, civil organizations or the NGOs working in the field of HIV/AIDS and other health sectors- whereas the epidemic continues to spread rapidly and at an alarmingly rate.
HCV issue on a war footing
Our Correspondent Kohima | July 28
Nagaland along with the rest of the world observed World Hepatitis Day 2016 with the theme “Elimination” on Thursday. Jointly organized by HepCoN, NUN, Kripa Foundation, NNP+ and NSACS, the programme held in the state capital Kohima raised deep concern over the alarming spread of HCV in Nagaland and called for addressing the issue on a war footing. NNagaDAO had on Wednesday revealed that Hepatitis C issue in Nagaland has become a serious threat while lamenting that not much has been done by the state
High cases of HCV reported in Nagaland
Speaking at the programme, Ketho from Hepatitis Coalition of Nagaland (HepCoN) lamented that despite the high cases of HCV reported in Nagaland, yet there was “zero response” from the state government. He said that there is no proper data source to project the real face of HCV burden and infection continue to rise. Ketho stated that many HCV related deaths have been reported in spite of treatment drugs being available. He also lamented that there is lack of testing and diagnosis facilities in the state.
Giving an impression of HepCoN, Ketho said it was formed in 2013 at Kohima to provide a platform to respond and address the issue of viral Hepatitis particularly Hepatitis C Virus in Nagaland. HepCoN has so far taken up actitivies, which include awareness, advocacy with government, MNC and facilitating treatment and care. HepCoN along with different community network, PNGOs had also conducted series of HCV awareness programme across all 11 districts of Nagaland. It also opened a facebook group. Through such grassroots mobilization campaign, HepCoN has been able to bring out the agenda of HCV into the spotlight, Ketho claimed. Besides, HepCoN has also done free antibody testing at Kohima, Mokokhung, Tuensang, Kiphire and Zunheboto. It also built linkages for access to diagnosis
and drugs at cheaper rate.
on HCV in Nagaland
Mhonthung Tungoe from Network of Naga People Living with HIV/AIDS (NNP+) said Mylan CSR project on HCV in Nagaland for a period of two years would continue till September 30, 2017. Key activities include; awareness programmes, counseling, 1st level HCV screening (Card Test), mobile HCV screening in remote areas, referral & linkages, IEC and advocacy. Under this project, more than three hundred awareness programme have already been conducted and reaching out to 23, 260 individuals from January to June 2016. Tungoe said that out of 1,316 HCV screening done (May-June 2016), 32 positive cases found. The HCV prevalence rate stands at 2.43 %, he added.
Lack of exercise costs world $67.5 billion, and five million lives a year
LONDON, JULY 28 (REUTERS): A study of one million people has found that physical inactivity costs the global economy $67.5 billion a year in healthcare and productivity losses, but an hour a day of exercise could eliminate most of that. Sedentary lifestyles are linked to increased risks of heart disease, diabetes and cancer, researchers found, but activity - such as brisk walking - could counter the higher likelihood of early death linked with sitting for eight or more hours a day. Such inactivity is estimated to cause more than 5 million deaths a year - almost as many as smoking, which the World Health Organization (WHO) says kills 6 million a year. Giving details of their findings at a briefing in London, the international team of researchers warned there has been too little progress in tackling a “pandemic of
Women exercise in front of a trainer (L) as the sun sets near Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. (REUTERS)
physical inactivity”. Ulf Ekelund, a professor at the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences and Cambridge University, said that WHO recommendations for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week
was probably not enough. A quarter of adults worldwide do not meet even the WHO’s recommendations. “You don’t need to do sport or go to the gym ... but you do need to do at least one hour a day,” he said,
giving walking at 5.6 km an hour (km/h) or cycling at 16 km/h as examples of what was needed. People who sat for eight hours a day but were otherwise active had a lower risk of premature death than peo-
ple who spent fewer hours sitting but were also less active, suggesting that exercise is particularly important, no matter how many hours a day are spent sitting. The greatest risk of premature death was for people who sat for long periods of time and did not exercise, according to the findings, published in The Lancet on Wednesday. In another of the series of four studies, researchers estimated healthcare costs and productivity losses for five major diseases linked to lack of exercise - heart disease, stroke, diabetes, breast cancer and colon cancer - cost $67.5 billion globally in 2013. Melody Ding of the University of Sydney, who led this part of the research, said the costs occur largely in wealthier countries, but as poorer countries develop, so too will the economic burden of chronic diseases linked to inactivity.