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monDAY • june 06 • 2016
DIMAPUR • Vol. XI • Issue 154 • 12 PAGes • 5
T H e
ESTD. 2005
There is no respect for others without humility in one’s self Saudi Arabia expands anti-Iran strategy beyond the Middle East
By Sandemo Ngullie
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Editor, The Morung Express
The Morung Express Poll QuEsTion
Vote on www.morungexpress.com sMs your answer to 9862574165 Given the chance, do you believe young people can bring about a positive difference in Naga society? Why and How?
Yes
no
others
Do you agree that we need active smart citizens to successfully implement the Smart Cities Mission? Why – give reasons? Yes
46%
no
42%
others
12%
Details on page 7
ACAUT files FIR against NSCN (IM) Mokokchug Town Commander DIMAPUR, JUNE 5 (MExN): The Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) Nagaland has filed an FIR against the NSCN (IM) Town Commander, Mokokchung Town for allegedly “demanding 24% of staff salary deduction from the office of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Mokokchung, and thereafter issuing individual demand letters to all the 70 primary health centres and sub-centres under CMO, Mokokchung district.” The FIR, dated June 2, 2016 was filed at Mokokchung Police Station (1), asking that the matter be “thoroughly probed and the culprit nabbed.” In a press release to the media, the ACAUT Nagaland urged the Mokokchung Police to “carry out the arrest without fear or favour.” It further appealed to the HoDs/DDOs at the directorate office as well as in the districts to refrain from deducting the salaries of their employees to “prevent the unpleasant situation of FIRs being registered against them.” ACAUT Nagaland informed that it had already filed a FIR complaint in the Zunheboto police station against a certain HoD of the district for which the Zunheboto police is investigating the case. “However, the ACAUT Nagaland would like to make it clear that it takes no pleasure in filing FIRs against government officials and therefore a time period of 1 week is being given to all the HoDs/ DDOs to return the entire amount deducted under 24% tax demand to their respective employees failing which FIRs would be registered irrespective of the reputation of the concerned officials,” it cautioned.
T R u T H
Djokovic wins first French Open title
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DMc waste dump a ‘paragon of environmental law violation’ On World Environment Day, NGOs point to alleged violation of guidelines at DMC waste disposal site
Bills, fees... And after deducting 25% for Naga this, 25% for Naga that, 25% those, here’s what’s left of my salary.
o F
— Henri Frederic Amiel
More celebrate World Environment Day
PAGe 09
reflections
P o W e R
DIMAPUR, JUNE 5 (MExN): A team of NGOs including the Human Rights Law Network, Pro Rural and CanYouth today alleged that “major guidelines or conditions” requisite to run waste dumping sites is not being adhered to at the Dimapur Municipal Garbage/Waste dumping site at United North Block area. A joint statement from ID Gil, Human Rights Network; Athilu Khrasi, Pro Rural; and Jenpu, CanYouth said this after the organisations had visited the site on June 4. On inspecting the site, the NGOs stated that biomedical waste, hazardous waste and non segregated solid wastes are collectively and directly dumped onto the site just as they are brought and burnt, often times, against the explicit rules forbidding it. “There is no treatment of garbage, no segregation. The rest of the wastes are left untreated, uncovered and out in the open,” it revealed. Further it quoted people from localities as stat-
ing that “since last year, the DMC had, 4-5 times, unilaterally and arbitrarily reextended the shifting from the site against their token promises to the agitators.” Terming the current waste disposal site as a “paragon of environmental law violation,” it added that the DMC has “miserably and successively failed on all the major fronts.” Other problems, the NGOs pointed out were the lack of proper retaining wall to contain the garbage spilling over the road; and proximity of around 30 households living right around the dumping field. They stated that the site poses “equal threat” to 5,000 odd households of the locality and beyond in the form of contamination of ground water from decades of toxic-liquid seepage from the site and the dangerous air that emanates from the wastes. They further informed that there is no specific timing set for garbage dumping. “Residents can smell the burning of plastics and
A file photo of machineries being put in place to dig pits at DMC dumping site for dumping fresh garbage.
rubbers as early as 2:00am in the morning. The vehicles carrying garbage, as they cross the area, leaves huge amount of dusts in their wake due to pathetic conditions of the road. There are 10-20 garbage carrying vehicles plying on duty every day, so one can only imagine the amount of pollution the carriers
themselves are generating and creating nuisance to the residents in the area,” the organisations said. Meanwhile, the NGOs noted that the dumping ground is breeding ground for “endless supplies of flies and mosquitoes.” They stated that “direct affect” of the dangers are reportedly witnessed in the form of “acute
case of liver swelling in an otherwise healthy looking child, asthma and other respiratory problem especially in the older people, and many cases of water borne disease such as skin disease, diarrhoea, typhoid etc.” They reminded that Nagaland State comes under the purview of Municipal Solid wastes (Management
& Handling) Rules, 2000 which provides specific and mandatory guidelines with regard to site selection for proposed landfill, facilities required at landfill site, specification for landfilling, pollution prevention, water quality monitoring, ambient air quality monitoring, plantation at landfill site, closure of landfill site/ post closure, etc. These specific provisions are to be implemented as per the rules and need to be ensured starting from the planning and design stage. The adequacy and performance of these provisions are to be monitored by the regulating authorities (State Pollution Control Board) during issue of authorization and in regular intervals thereafter. Further, site selection is to be done based on examination of environmental issues, and the landfill site be planned and designed with proper documentation of a phased construction plan as well as a closure plan, and nearby a waste processing plant or an integral part of it. The proposed landfill site should be away from habitation clusters, forest areas, water bodies, monuments, national parks, wetlands and places
of important cultural, historical or religious interest. The rules also call for monitoring of ground water quality, installation of landfill gas control system including gas collection system, and ambient air quality monitoring. The NGOs said that “against the basic set standards, there was a drastic contrast on the ground and blatant negligence on the part of the relevant authorities since day one of the project.” The organisations lamented that irrespective of the mechanism that the DMC employs, “they can never rectify the loss to the environment they have caused.” “The Dhansiri River that is just alongside the site, the local residents who had to bear the difficult times cannot afford to see the site continuing at the present site,” they asserted. They advised that under the mentorship of the State Pollution Control Board, the DMC should relocate the site and install state-of-the-art processing equipments and all other criteria that a landfill site is supposed to have. “Let no citizen for another day go through the life threatening menace” they appealed.
PHED Minister on Peren water scarcity From modest beginnings, DGC turns 50 this July
DIMAPUR, JUNE 5 (MExN): Minister for PHED, Tokheho Yepthomi today issued a statement to clarify the PHE Department’s position with regard to the water supply issue in Peren. The Minister, while acknowledging the grievances of the public of Peren Town over water scarcity, stated that people “also need to know and understand hurdles being faced by the department while rendering its services.” He admitted that water supply to Peren town had outlived its life span for which the department has been engaging repair works. The department had restored water supply line to Peren town on May 20. In addition, the Minister informed that the department has also constructed three units of deep tube wells and distribution system connected to it is nearing completion. Assuring that the department is working to provide drinking water to existing water lines, the Minister informed that there are more than 52 villages and towns where water supply connection has outlived the 30 year design period and require overhauling. He further informed that the annual
state budgetary allocation to the department is “very inadequate” thereby preventing the PHED from taking up new schemes in all villages and towns. The Minister said that the department received an allocation of non plan fund of Rs 115 lakhs till 2014-15 which was enhanced to Rs 230 lakhs during 2016-16. This non plan fund is allocated to the department to meet all expenses of operation and maintenance of the state, whilst also meeting expenses of department buildings and other assets. Despite financial constraints, the Minister stated that the department has been consistently making efforts to improve existing water supply to both rural and urban areas for uninterrupted water supply in “every possible way.” He clarified that the PHED is not responsible for lodging complaints or setting up investigation teams to resolve issues and disputes arising between different parties and appealed to the public of Old Peren to either resolve the issues within the conflicting parties or report the matter to the administration and police.
In two years Health Dept recruited 804 without proper selection, allege NVCO DIMAPUR, JUNE 5 (MExN): The Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO) today alleged that from 2014 to 2016, the Nagaland State Department of Health and Family Welfare had “recruited 804 candidates mostly on direct appointment i.e without following proper selection process and posted at all eleven districts in Nagaland.” The NVCO informed that of this, 319 candidates/ employees were allegedly found to be “appointed without vacancy and without government approval.” The NVCO based these allegations on replies to an RTI application filed on April 22, 2016 with the Directorate of Health & Family Welfare. The NVCO informed that the PIO of the Directorate of Health & Family Welfare had furnished the list of appointment orders
of Grade – III & Grade – IV made from 2014-2016 (till date). Basing its findings on the list of appointments, the NVCO alleged that a lot of the appointments “were made within a little more than two years time and all these appointments include backdoor, without vacancy, regularized without vacancy, with and without government approval and against retirement, etc.” The NVCO informed that the department had “terminated more than hundred employees just in one district whose appointments are without vacancy or without sanctioned posts.” However, itallegedthatthedepartment is “still continuing the same blunder and illegality which is also amounting to exploiting the livelihood and career of citizens given them false hope to the extent of regularisation.”
It demanded that the concerned administrative head/competent authority take stern actions against irregular appointments as per the Government of Nagaland O.M No: AR-3/Gen174/2007(pt) dated January 13, 2010. The NVCO meanwhile extended its support to the Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF) in their protest against the Department of Tourism and Food & Civil Supplies with a demand to cancel alleged backdoor appointments. The NVCO further informed that it had submitted an RTI application dated May 23, 2016 to the PIO of Food & Civil Supplies seeking information on records of Kerosene allocation in the State (AOD as well as MD) including district-wise allocation for the last five years till date.
Morung Express news Dimapur | June 5
Dimapur Government College (DGC) is going to turn 50 this July. The oldest college in Dimapur, erstwhile known as Dimapur College (Arts & Commerce), it had its share of ups and downs on its journey to today transform into a highly sought after institution of higher education in Nagaland. The story has it that some prominent citizens of the town realising the need for a place of higher learning took the initiative to establish a college. It was a time when Nagaland was grappling with the challenges of governance as a new state of the Indian Union. The initiative materialised into Dimapur College (Arts & Commerce) in July 1966 with its campus based where the Public College of Commerce is today. It was a modest start with 83 students enrolling and a faculty of 7 jumpstarting the onerous task of transforming and shaping young minds. The 50 years journey has witnessed three university affiliations, a change in administrative control and nomenclature and importantly, NAAC grading. In its initial years, it was affiliated to Guwahati University before getting affiliated to North Eastern Hill University in 1974. Subsequent to the state government taking ownership of the college in February 1989, it was renamed as Dimapur Government College. It finally settled down with Nagaland University in 1994. Prior to the official takeover, according to an alumnus, the government acquired land to relocate to the present campus. Construction of the campus was started in tandem but the pace of work was slug-
The DGC building in the present day. The campus infrastructure has not changed much as against the progress made academically.
gish with the completion time getting extended. The anxious students preferring the serene environment of the new campus eventually took it upon themselves to relocate before construction could be completed. The alumnus recalled that the students tidied up the half done building one fine day in 1988. Construction had started over three years ago. The teachers also cooperated with classes resuming in the unfinished building without much amenity. While the government appeared content at constructing a building to run classes, the college received developmental aid from unexpected quarters and well wishers over the years. Neglect by the government in the initial years following the acquirement made the land vulnerable to encroachment. It today has a football field, a basketball court and a library building constructed with aid from the Army. The latter of the three however did not witness much use. At one time, the college gained local notoriety for rather unruly student behaviour and volatile politically influenced student elections. Former students of the time, also recall sneaking out of class mid-lecture after roll call
through gaps in the walls. But all that is past now with the college administration affecting a significant revival over the past two decades or so. The change in output was observable with the college gradually improving its results even in the midst of little or no improvement in infrastructure. The total ‘Pass’ percentage for the three-year integrated degree course was over 90 percent this year. Reward was looming too as the college received NAAC ‘B’ grade accreditation in 2015. Admission to the college has also got more competitive with the cut off mark set at 52 percent. Gone are the days when students with ‘simple pass’ percentage could easily get seats. The DGC website states that the present enrolment stands at 874 students, 50 faculty members and 55 non-teaching staffers. It has introduced Diploma courses in Hospitality and Tourism and is all set to offer 6-month certificates course in Floriculture. “DGC is emerging as a great centre of higher education in Nagaland,” said the alumnus while adding it was the result of the teachers that has helmed the college faculty not forgetting the foresight and the contribution of the pio-
neers and other concerned citizens. DGC Alumni Association readies for 50th year milestone The Dimapur Government College Alumni Association informed that it is all set to celebrate the 50th year anniversary alongwith the college. A member of the association said that marking the jubilee, the association is constructing two commemorative gates leading to the campus. The association is also set to construct a waiting shedcum-college canteen. According to the member, the side of the main road leading to the campus was being used as a garbage dumping site by residents in the vicinity. Stating it was not an inviting sight, the member said the garbage was cleared and informative banners were put in place to discourage the practice. The association was assisted by an NGO – Living for Environment in the effort. The spot will then be readied for building the cante en-cum-waiting shed, it was informed. The preparations will culminate with the college marking the golden jubilee year with a special celebration on October 16, 2016. The association requests all the college alumni and well wishers to contribute towards its success.