June 4th, 2016

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www.morungexpress.com

SaturDaY • june 04 • 2016

DIMAPUR • Vol. XI • Issue 152 • 12 PAGes • 5

T H e

ESTD. 2005

P o W e R

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Human rights is a universal standard. It is a component of every religion and every civilization Nagaland government urged to co-operate for development

Mathura on edge as violence claims 24 lives

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T R u T H

— Shirin Ebadi

NAC Open Supercross 2016 ends

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MARCh 5 INquIRy REPORT : Jail Re-structuring, Re-vamping of Dept - The break-in could have been avoided cause for ‘division & misunderstanding’ Judicial Inquiry Commission shares summary of 58page report and recommendations Morung Express News Dimapur | June 3

Three months after the completion of judicial inquiry on the March 5, 2015 jail break-in incident in Dimapur, the first public declaration on the contents of the Judicial Inquiry Commission’s (JIC) report was made on June 3. The JIC headed by Justice (retired) BD Agarwal as chairman and retired District & Sessions Judge, Veprasa Nyekha as member, had submitted the report to the Nagaland state government on March 9, 2015. Addressing a press conference today the NAPTC conference hall, Chumukedima, the JIC informed that the report was first handed over to the Chief Minister on March 9 and to the Chief Secretary on March 10. According to the JIC, the Nagaland State government was supposed to make public the report through the media. However, this was not done so. This, therefore, may perhaps be the first instance in Nagaland for a government instituted inquiry to directly share its findings and recommendation. The entirety of the 58-page report was however not disclosed as the JIC said, “Some findings of the report will not be disclosed, the disclosure of which will be left to the government’s

Nagaland Govt WED 2016 dedicated to the girl child KOHIMA, JUNE 3 (DIPR): The Commissioner & Secretary to the Government of Nagaland Neihu C. Thur, IAS has informed that the Nagaland State Government has decided to dedicate the World Environment Day 2016 which falls on June 5 to the Girl Child.

Pastor assaulted DIMAPUR, JUNE 3 (MExN): Pastor of the Dimapur Rongmei Baptist Church, K Sachu Colony, Meingandai Gangmei was assaulted by unidentified miscreants in the wee hours of June 3 at around 12:30am. A press note from the Dimapur Rongmei Baptist Church (DRBC) informed that the incident occurred near Faith Hospital, when the pastor was returning in an auto rickshaw from the Dimapur Railway Station after dropping off a relative. The DRBC informed that the miscreants forcibly stopped the auto rickshaw and pulled the pastor out, while forcing the driver to drop them to a certain place. As the pastor started making a phone call after being forcibly pulled out of the auto rickshaw, the DRBC said that the miscreants assaulted him and snatched his phone. Condemning the incident, the DRBC asked “the culprits to repent, mend their ways and seek forgiveness.” It further appealed for the return of the pastor’s cell phone as it contains “important data related to the Church ministry.”

File photo of a mob trying to break into the Dimapur Central Jail on March 5, 2015.

discretion.” Only a summary of the report highlighting the JIC’s recommendations was released. A general lack of coordination among officers, lack of proper riot control training and equipments and an infirm prison security set up were pointed out to be the main factors behind the March 5 incident. Observing the break-in at the Central Jail could have been avoided had “lapses and faults” been taken care of earlier; a number of recommendations were made to the government. Improving the overall security arrangement of jails by way of fortifying the existing prison complexes, CCTVs, metal detectors, alarms system and dedicated monitoring

rooms were recommended. Stating that watch towers are a conspicuous feature of any prison, it added that guards manning such points be equipped with modern communications gadgets. Riot control equipments were also recommended for jail guards and in all police stations. Another significant observation was the absence of water cannon. Citing statements of government officials examined during the inquiry, the JIC said that the only available water cannon was not deployed. There were contradictory versions on this particular aspect with some of the examined officials maintaining it could not be deployed because of road blockades while others maintained it was not in working

condition. On the training of police and administration officials, the JIC said that many officers during examination admitted to having little or no training on “crowd management.” It also strongly recommended the posting of efficient and experienced officers at “sensitive places.” Noting the incident was likely the “outcome of the people’s grievance against the alleged inaction of the civil administration to detect and deport” illegal immigrants, the JIC recommended that implementation of ILP be strengthened and updating of the National Register of Citizens in Nagaland. As regards the aspect of establishing the forces and people responsible for the incident, the JIC said it would best be left to the CBI. As many as 47 written statements from NGOs, individuals, police and jail authorities and “oral evidence” from 30 government officials were stated to have formed the basis of the JIC’s report. Paucity of time was stated to have prevented it from recording evidence of others. The inquiry was instituted on May 16, 2015 to ascertain the causes and circumstances leading to the incident of vandalism and forcible entry into the Central Jail, Dimapur on March 5, 2015 by a mob and killing of an under-investigation prisoner (UIP) and also the death of another person allegedly in police firing and “to ascertain the person/persons, group/groups responsible for the incident, lapses of dereliction of duty on the part of government officials, public authorities, etc.”

CAPF demands teachers at GHS Chessore DIMAPUR, JUNE 3 (MExN): The Chessore Area Public Forum (CAPF) today expressed resentment at the Department of School Education for failing to deploy required teachers at Government High School Chessore. A press note from the CAPF said that persistent appeal was made to the department but to no avail. “The aspiring area students were greatly forsaken as the very institution is witnessing the acute shortage of teachers since very long which is metered out of immense transfer, retired and non deploy-

ment in place. Thus far the school is in defunct manner with shortage of teacher, the students are in chaos looping their career at stake as not even a single chapter has been started for Maths and Science for the forth coming midterm exam,” the CAPF revealed. It said that the lackadaisical attitude of the department has a great impact on the school’s poor HSLC result. Demanding immediate deployment of teachers, the CAPF cautioned that the concerned authority would be solely responsible for depriving the students.

BACKDOOR APPOINTMENT: NPRAAF stages sit-in dharna at Tourism Office

NPRAAF members staging a sit-in dharna at the premises of Tourism Office, Dimapur on Friday. (Morung Photo)

Morung Express News Dimapur | June 3

Following the submission of a 30 day ultimatum to the Tourism Department on May 25 to cancel all backdoor appointments, the Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF) on Friday staged a sit-in dharna at the premises of Tourism Office, Dimapur (Tourist Lodge) demanding fulfilment of their demands. Addressing a press conference today, NPRAAF General Secretary, Hito Swu said that the Forum was not against any individual but against corrupt practices of appointment, thereby denying employment opportunities to the educated unemployed youth. He said that the uncompromising stance of the NPRAAF against the Tourism Department was

concerning alleged anomalies in the appointments and the alleged massive misuse of funds in infrastructure. “NPRAAF strives to be the voice of the deprived people who are silently suffering without anybody to fight for them,” Hito said. NPRAAF President, Wedieu Kronu said that there was an excess of 5 Tourist Officers (TOs) in the Department against the sanctioned posts of 12 TOs. She said that the excess officers were a result of premature promotions of three employees and other backdoor appointments, and demanded cancellation of the promotion orders of the three TOs. “Even though there are excess TOs, Kiphire still does not have a TO so one of our demands is to post a TO there,” she said. The NPRAAF also de-

manded the cancellation of the post of one TO and its resultant vacancy be declared open for competition. Further, the NPRAAF demanded the cancellation of absorption service of one Class – I Gazetted officer whose service was absorbed along with post. It said that the appointment of the Class – I officer was in contravention to the Department’s Service Rule – 5 (i) which states that Class – I posts would be filled by “promotion of members of the lower grade.” The NPRAAF also demanded cancellation of all other absorption services and the resultant vacancies be made open for competition adding, “such absorption policy takes away the chance of the educated youth to be employed.” After the expiry of the 30 days ultimatum on June 25, the NPRAAF said it would have no option but to resort to its planned phase wise democratic protests to bring the issue to a logical conclusion. “Any situation arising out of such democratic protests would be the sole look out and responsibility of the Department of Tourism since by that time, the Department would have got enough time to settle the issue,” NPRAAF added.

DDEOs of 11 districts issue joint statement on ANSTA and NSSFOF cease work agitation

DIMAPUR, JUNE 3 (MExN): The Deputy District Education Officers (DDEOs) of all the districts of Nagaland State today issued a joint statement to clarify on the cease work agitation currently undertaken by the All Nagaland School Teachers Association (ANSTA) and the Nagaland Secondary Schools Field Officers Federation (NSSFOF). The statement said that “division and misunderstanding” within the department “started only after the restructuring and re-vamping of the Department of School Education in 2011.” It informed that under this restructuring, “mass promotions were given to the secondary officers in the name of one time arrangement by giving even double/ triple promotion within a year. But sad to say that, such arrangements were never done for the higher secondary officers.” It was only in 2012, it said, that some of the senior principals were promoted as Deputy District Education officers (DDEOs) as the post was created during re-structuring of the department. Prior to the re-structuring/ revamping, the line of promotion for Principal was to promote either as Deputy Director in the Directorate or District Education officer in the district. “But, unfortunately, DEO post was upgraded to Jt. Director post and it was entirely reserved only for the officers from secondary section and, Dy. DEO was entirely reserved for Hr. Secondary section,” the statement said. “That was the main reason which led to the present situation where the senior officers from higher secondary

section (DDEOs) are made to serve and controlled by the juniors who were serving as a graduate teacher under them (principal) and naturally, the conflict and misunderstanding between the two sections started as the Hr. Secondary officers/ as the secondary section were promoted 2-3 times within a short span of time due to their double triple promotion,” it added. At present, it informed that there is only 1 DEO post being occupied by a officer from secondary section but in all the remaining districts all the DEO posts are lying vacant and DDEOs are holding the DEO post on current charge for the last 3 to 4 years. Further, it acknowledged that the “agitators rightly said that within a span of 8-10 years PGTs are becoming class 1 officers (VP). This is because, there should be an administrator in all the higher secondary schools as it is mandatory to have an administrator to look after the institution along with the opening of more higher secondary schools in the state otherwise, who will take care of the schools without an administrator.” The DDEOs further stated that “it is not very wise to blame each other and spoil the career of the students by taking up issues with selfish motive for individual benefit without considering for the general public.” “We, as a builder of nation and molder of students’ career, we need to be more inclined towards students welfare,” they maintained while stating that “our conscience does not allow us” to resort to agitation. They further affirmed that the DDEOs would rather “patiently wait for the government to deliver justice as we cannot harm anyone’s career.” Full text on Page 10

CM laments ‘negative ramifications’ of PIL on Oil issue

KOHIMA, JUNE 3 (MExN): Nagaland State Chief Minister, TR Zeliang today urged the importance of withdrawing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed against the Nagaland State Government’s efforts to carry out oil exploration and extraction. “If we can’t fight for, protect what is legally ours today in our lifetime, future Naga generations will curse us,” the CM said while meeting a delegation of the Central Naga Tribes Council (CNTC) leaders this morning. He requested the CNTC leaders to create awareness about the “negative ramifications the PIL would have on the land and resources which belong to the Naga people.” The CM explained the tussle which went on between the Ministry of Petroleum, Government of India and the Nagaland State Government over exploration and extraction of petroleum and natural gas in the State. “Whereas the Ministry of Petroleum had said that it was unconstitutional for the State Government to frame our own Rules & Regulations on Petroleum and Natural Gas quoting the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Act, 1948, we argued that the 13th Amendment of the Consti-

tution of India, December 1963 by which Article 371 A was inserted into the Constitution and Statehood for Nagaland was created, had, in effect, over-ruled the 1948 Act,” the CM said. The CM reminded that he had written to the Union Minister for Pe-

by the Government of India at this juncture would have an “adverse impact on the on-going peace negotiations to resolve the Naga political issue, which is in an advanced stage now.” “A clear definition of the subject matter relating to ownership of land and its resources in Nagaland as mentioned in Article 371 A of the Constitution of India is one of the key issues to be resolved in the Naga political dialogues,” the CM had said. Accordingly, the matter was kept in abeyance with the arguments of the State Government being scrutinized by the Government of India. However, the CM lamented that a tribe Hoho had filed a PIL in the Court and the matter was shifted to the legal arena, where the State Government’s efforts to carry out oil exploration and extraction had been stalled. The CM also expounded on the importance of Article 371 A, saying that Nagaland is “most fortunate to have specific mention in the Constitution about protection of the traditions, cultures and religious practices of the Nagas and more importantly, assurance of ownership of the land and its resources.”

Meets with delegation of Central Naga Tribes Council troleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan, last September after the Ministry put up for auction two oil blocks in Nagaland. Informing the Union Minister that the Nagaland government has framed the Nagaland Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulations 2012 and the Nagaland Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules 2012 in accordance with Article 371-A(1) (a) of the Constitution of India, and already invited Expressions Of Interest from interested oil companies, and is in the process of allocating the oil blocks in Nagaland; the CM said that opening up oil fields located within Nagaland to competitive bidding by the Government of India is not appropriate. He also said that such a decision


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