March 29th, 2017

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DIMAPUR • Vol. XII • Issue 85 • 12 PAGes • 5

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NAGALAND

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Swachh Bharat: Kiphire gets four mobile pickup trucks

FAC Functional English Dept felicitates successful students Morung Express News Mokokchung | March 28

Swachh Bharat Brand Ambassador for Kiphire, Alobo Naga presets a song during the programme held at Hopongkyu Memorial Hall on March 28. (Morung Photo) Morung Express News Kiphire | March 28

The Swachh Bharat Brand Ambassador for Kiphire, Alobo Naga handed over the key of four garbage mobile pickup truck to the different wards at the programme held at Hopongkyu Memorial Hall on March 28. It was attended by the district administration, civil societies, students and the well wishers.

Speaking at the programme, Alobo Naga said, “I take Kiphire along with me and introduce myself to the world as the Brand Ambassador of Kiphire.” He asked the gathering to keep the town clean because people across the globe may be eager to visit this town.

Sharing his observation Alobo said that in places like Singapore people do into allow even to chew chewing gum as it liter the street, “and it is time we also learn from others because if the town is clean it’s you who will enjoy and not others,” he added.

He also challenged the people of Kip-

hire to make the town as one of the cleanest towns in the entire state so that the town is not only disease free and hygienic, but tourist will flock in out of eagerness.

The Brand Ambassador also presented a song from the album he has recently released and also handed over the vehicle key of the pick up garbage truck to various wards chairman.

Dr Tinojungshi Chang, ADC and Administrator Town Council while giving welcome note shared on the objectives of SBM and also said, the department of urban development has issued four pickup trucks to the sanitation committee in the town and also asked the gathering to extend all possible co-operations to make of it judiciously.

He also mentioned that the department has allotted dustbin to churches and institutions in the town and asked various stake holders to collect from KTC office.

Lisethrong all ward chairman, Tsilise vice president USLP and Sebastian Principal Trinity School also address the gathering.

Functional English Department of Fazl Ali College today held a special felicitation programme for its 6th Semester Students’ who had successfully completed internship in different fields with Dr Abemo, Controller of Examination, Nagaland University here today at the college conference hall.

Functional English, which is a vocational and skill based subject, was introduced in Fazl Ali College in the year 2001. Today’s programme was also attended by the HoDs of different departments, the College Principal, vice-principal and some alumni.

Principal of FAC, Dr Arenla, while speaking at the programme, said that Functional English as a subject was first introduced in Fazl Ali College under Nagaland University way back in 2001. It was first attached with the English Department. Over the years, there was a need to upgrade the Functional English into a full-fledged department; after a lot of hardships, and

The six successful students of FAC Functional English Department along with the special guest, teachers, and college administrators at the felicitation programme on March 28. (Morung Photo)

a lot of sacrifices, the Functional English have come thus far, said the principal.

She also highly complimented some of the former lecturers like Akok Walling (present principal of Dimapur Government College), Kuholi Chishi (present Addl director, Higher Education), Dr Chubatola Aier (principal and proprietor of C-Edge College, Dimapur) and Asso Prof Temsunaro HoD, FE Department, FAC for their sacrifices and nurturing the department and molding the students over

the years.

Underscoring the importance of vocational and skill based subjects in schools and colleges given the high unemployment rate in the state, Dr Arenla strongly advocated for such subjects like Functional English in different colleges under Nagaland University and added that it is the need of the hour.

She further said that though Functional English is a small department given the small number of students due to lack of in-

frastructure and teaching faculty, yet she disclosed that the Functional English students, to her knowledge, have been employed in one or the other field in the state and outside.

The special guest, Dr Abemo, CoE, Nagaland University, Lumami, while congratulating the students, said that there is a norm under the UGC where a college can apply for awarding diploma certificates to students for vocational subjects. However, the concern college must

apply for it to the University; He said that if the college apply for such provisions of awarding diploma certificates, then the Nagaland University would surely process it, said the University official.

The special guest also handed over the commendation certificates to the six successful students were awarded certificates for successfully completing their internships: two students for Radio Jockey, one as receptionist, two as teachers and one as a tourist guide intern.

Meanwhile, the HoD of Functional English, Asso Prof Narola Neizo delivered the welcome address while two students from the 6th Semester spoke about their experiences as Functional Eng students. Two alumni – Sentilong Ozukum (EAC) and Ayim Longchar (Editorial Cartoonist at Ao Milen) – motivated the students through their speeches.

It may be noted that Functional English is not like other traditional subjects. It is mostly practical orientated and focuses on ‘English phonetics, grammar, communication skills, media and entrepreneurship.’

Learning to lead: Student leaders participate in workshop

PhEsama, march 28 (mExN): Forty student leaders from various schools of Nagaland and Manipur took part in a two-day workshop on leadership titled “Learning to lead” organized at St. Paul Retreat House, Phesama. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Rev. Fr. Boniface D’Souza, the Director of the Center introduced and welcomed the resource persons, Rev. Fr. Dr. Anand Pereira SJ, Rev. Fr. Gideon SJ, Rev. Br. Avi Krocha SJ, Stephen and Juanis. He also welcomed the participants and invited them to take part wholeheartedly in the workshop. The workshop included sessions on the meaning of leadership, the challenges involved in leadership, and skills required for leaders. A variety of entertainment was also organized to provide the participants with an opportunity to exhibit their talents. Felix Monteiro SJ in a press release stated that the programme ended with an action plan for each participating school, drawn up by the leaders of Student leaders from various schools of Nagaland and Manipur dur- that particular school. It was followed by an oath ing the two-day workshop on leadership organized at St. Paul Retreat taking ceremony where the leaders pledged to serve the student community selflessly.

House, Phesama.

DNWO destroy illicit liquor at Diphupar

DNWO members and elders of Diphupar village display the seized liquor before it was disposed on March 28. (Morung Photo) Morung Express News Dimapur | March 28

A cache of illicit liquor worth over Rs. 4 lakhs was destroyed at Diphupar village on March 28. The exercise was part of an ongoing drive against liquor

initiated by the Diphupar Naga Women Organisation (DNWO).

As per the DNWO, the liquor was confiscated from within the village jurisdiction from outlets fronting as legitimate business units. The DNWO

Affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education ( ISO 9001 : 2008 Certified Institute ) Thahekhu/Kevija-ü, Dimapur-797112 : Nagaland e-mail: livingstone.nagaland@gmail.com ( : (03862) 244203

Excellent track record in curricular & co-curricular achievements in both State & National Levels.

ARTS SCIENCE COMMERCE

GRADE XI ADMISSION 2017

“Proven to make a difference for every child that steps in” LIMITED SEATS Admission Forms available at School Office between 9:00am. To 1:00pm, from 20th March ‘17, admission for Grade-XI will be on 1st cum 1st serve basis.

Admission for other Grades (2017-18) will commence from 7th to 17th April 2017.

Regular classes for all Grades except Grade-XI will resume from 18th April 2017.

“YOUR

KIDS

OUR

PRIDE”

added that today’s was the 4th time it destroyed confiscated illicit liquor over the past 4-5 months. The street value of the liquor seized and destroyed during the period was estimated to be over Rs. 10 lakhs.

DNWO chairperson,

Viholi said that its objective is to rid the village of the menace of liquor consumption and asserted that the DNWO will continue to keep an eye on the mushrooming of illicit liquor outlets within the village.

Alder College, Kohima held its parting social for the 6th Semester students on March 24 at Dr. Setu Memorial Hall. Altogether 117 students from the College will be graduating this year. Speaking at the parting social, Vilasielie Mepfü-o, Vice Principal encouraged and challenged the outgoing students to move out from their comfort zones and become people of integrity.

The parting social witnessed a wide variety of songs, dances and speeches by the students and staff.

Effects of climate change in agri and allied sectors DimaPur, march 28 (mExN): ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Nagaland Centre organized an awareness programme on effects of climate change in agriculture and allied sectors and adaptation strategies in connection with the Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS) project on March 23 at Lotovi Village, Dimapur. Imtisenla Walling, Technical Officer, GKMS project, briefed about the objective of the programme and the project.

Romen Sharma, Scientist ICAR, Nagaland Centre highlighted the importance of Agromet Advisory services of GKMS project and role in providing location specific Agro-advisory services to the farmers of the state. He insisted the farmers to take advantages of the mobile SMS services for better planning of their agricultural operations. He requested the farmers to get registered with the SMS service by providing their mobile numbers to ICAR

Participants of the awareness programme organised by ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Nagaland Centre held on March 23.

Nagaland Centre.

Dr. Mahak Singh, Scientist, ICAR Nagaland Centre highlighted the challenges faced by the livestock farmers in the changing climate scenario. He stressed on the need to improve poultry and piggery farming by adopting improved breeds.

He also encouraged the

farmers to adopt Artificial Insemination (AI) technology for breeding in piggery.

Dr. Azeze Seyie, Scientist, ICAR Nagaland Centre, informed the farmers about the effects of climate changes in agriculture especially in horticulture crops. She also discussed various adaptation strate-

gies for agriculture under climate change. She gave detailed information about the role of ICAR, Nagaland Centre for the development of agriculture in the state and encouraged the farmers to take advantage of services available at ICAR. All together 53 farmers attended the programme.

Gov encourage citizens to adopt govt schools

Kohima, mar ch 28 (mExN): Dwelling on the education system in the state, the Governor of Nagaland PB Acharya said that education is on the top of his priority list adding that his wife, Kavita Acharya who is a MA B.Ed has adopted Officers Hill Middle School in Kohima where she attends classes as an honorary guest teacher and teaches the students once a week.

“Our educated ladies who are housewives can come forward to share their empowerment in Government schools to add value and strengthen the academic system by taking up one subject like Maths, Science, English etc as honorary guest teachers,” the Governor said.

A press release issued by the Raj Bhavan PRO said, the Governor has observed that in the last

three years government schools in the State have rarely produced rank holders and it was time to change the trend. Stating that the strength of the chain lies in its weakest link, the Governor appealed to all educated housewives, retired government servants and any person empowered in education from all parts of the State to consider adopting government schools by taking proper permission from the authority and help students in particular and the society as a whole.

Giving back and sharing should be the first lesson of an educated and spiritual person, he added.

“If adopted into a trend by likeminded educated people, this voluntary mission could contribute greatly to the school education sector of the State,” the Kavita Acharya, wife of Governor PB Acharya conducts a class at the Officer’s Hill Government Middle School Governor said. on March 27. The First Lady has adopted the school and teaches the students once a week.

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DIMAPUR • Vol. XII • Issue 85 • 12 PAGes • 5

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The stupid don’t even understand something that happened long ago, the wise understand it before it develops — Shang Yang

reflections

By Sandemo Ngullie

nagaland Budget: chief Minister presents Rs. 1437.84 crore deficit • Nearly 80% of expenditure for non-developmental purposes • Only 50% of CSS fund availed Our Correspondent

mental expenditure (Non plan expenditure) while the rest Rs. 3,720 crore is for Chief Minister of Nagaland development expenditure Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu, (Plan expenditure). who also holds finance portfolio, today presented Main thrust area the Nagaland State Budget of development The main focus of the with an estimated deficit of Rs. 1437.84 crores for the budget for 2017-18 is towards uplift of the poor and year 2017-18.

While the current year’s rural population, the CM transaction is estimated said.

“The thrust of developto result in a positive balance of Rs. 220.04 crores, ment expenditure is on the the CM said that due the social sector, i.e. education, negative opening balance health, water supply etc,” of Rs. 1657.87 crores, the Dr. Liezietsu told media year 2017-18 is estimated persons after budget preto close with a negative bal- sentation.

Out of the total outlay, ance of Rs. 1437.84 crores.

Overall, the budget en- 39% is on the social sector, visages a total expenditure followed by rural developof Rs. 16,365.17 crores from ment at 19%, and at 13% the Consolidated Fund of for Agri & Allied sector, he Nagaland during 2017-18. added.

As regards the budget Out of this, nearly 80% of expenditure or Rs. 12,644 proposals, the budget escrore is for non-develop- timated gross receipts at Kohima | March 28

“Since our government is paraplegic dearly hanging onto life support system, our only chance to survive is self employment”

CANSSEA accepts govt’s offer on 7th ROP; Calls off pen-down strike DIMAPUR, MARCH 28 (MExN): The Confederation of All Nagaland State Services Employees’ Association (CANSSEA) on Tuesday informed that it has decided to accept the offer of the State Government regarding demand of 7th ROP in principle on conditions that the government immediately issue notification for implementation of the 7th ROP notionally with effect from June 2017 and actual payment from January 1, 2018, increment be effected from December 1, 2017 on the basis of notional fixation effected from June 1, 2017 and that the same be mentioned in the said notification. Under the above conditions, the CANSSEA president and convener of State Services Association, S Takatuba Aier said, the association has decided to withdraw the statewide pen-down agitation of the State government employees currently enforced.

DBA to abstain from court on March 31 DIMAPUR, MARCH 28 (MExN): In accordance with direction from Bar Council of India, the Dimapur Bar Association (DBA) will abstain from court on March 31. The peaceful protest is being carried out against the proposed Bill that prohibits Advocates from going on a strike by the Law Commission, DBA stated in a press release. The association has requested its members to abstain from work on the aforesaid date.

Former IBM Hepong Phom passes away

Statement of eStimated groSS receiptS and groSS expenditure

A. Receipts State’s Own Tax and Non-Tax Revenue State’s Share in Central Taxes Central Assistance (Grants & Loans) Internal Debt (including WMA from RBI) Recovery of Loans and Advances by State Govt Total B. Expenditures Non-Plan Expenditure (excluding Servicing of Debt) Servicing of Debt (including repayment of WMA) Plan Expenditure (including CSS) Total C. Balance (A-B) D. Public Account (NET) E. Current Transactions (A-B+D) Rs. 16, 657.26 crores and gross expenditure at Rs. 16, 365.17 crores for the financial year 2017-18.

He further stated that the State now has a number of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) and other Central Flagship schemes funded by the central government, which will henceforth provide the main thrust for development works in the state.

Dr. Liezietsu further

stated for the coming year 2017-18, the State Planning Board has approved a sectoral allocation of developmental funds to the tune of Rs. 3720.51 crores, out of which, the central sector, namely, CSS & Central Flagship Schemes etc. account for Rs. 3070.51 crores, while the state sector, or the State flexible fund accounts for Rs. 650 crores, which is only about 17% of the total develop-

(Rs. in crore) 795.96 3200.00 6860.94 5798.45 1.91 16, 657.26 (Rs. in crore) 6526.84 6117.82 3720.51 16, 365.17 292.09 -72.05 220.04

ment outlay.

Out of the State’s flexible fund of Rs. 650 crores, he added, 10% State’s share of the central sector schemes have to be met.

“This also means that if we are to fully avail the Central sector scheme as indicated above, we have to earmark not less than 50% of our state’s flexible funds towards meeting the state’s share of central sector schemes, which is a tall

Nagaland govt on ‘Framework Agreement’, ULB & other issues Morung Express News Kohima | March 28

Chief Minister of Nagaland, Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu today reiterated the government’s support to the ‘Framework Agreement’ and stressed on the need for inclusiveness among the Nagas.

“They are going ahead and it is said that they are about to conclude the agreement,” Dr. Liezietsu informed on Framework Agreement addressing a press conference following the presentation of the Budget Speech on March 28.

“We are yet to know what will the type be of agreement signed between these two groups. It will be too early for us to comment anything on that,” he added.

The CM, however, lamented that Nagas have “unfortunately gone backward.” Nagas had started the movement as one family “but in due course of time, we have split into many different groups now and therefore it is necessary for all of us to appeal to

come together,” he said.

The press conference was also attended by Finance Commissioner Temjen Toy and Advisor (Finance) TR Zeliang who supplemented the CM on various issues.

Suggestions sought on ULB elections On the contentious issue of election to Urban Local Bodies, TR Zeliang once again reminded that all the tribal Hohos and NGOs should place their suggestions to the government the manner in which they want to carry out the ULB polls.

“The Act amended in 2006 still remains. It is not yet amended. In what way people want amendment, people should come forward, then government can have a relook into it,” he stated.

On budget deficits On budget deficit, TR Zeliang stated that because of the lack of resources in Nagaland, the 10% devolution does not benefit the State. “Not only in Nagaland but even in other special

DIMAPUR, MARCH 28 (MExN): Ex-Interim Body Member (IBM) and first regional council member, Phom area, M. Hepong Phom passed away Tuesday afternoon after a brief illness in Dimapur. He was 102 years. He is survived by his wife, 5 sons, and two daughters. The funeral serMorung Express News vice will be held at his resiKohima | March 28 dence at Signal Angami, Phom Colony, Dimapur on Nagaland had 373 incomplete March 29 at 10:00 am. projects relating to 36 departments with an estimated cost of Rs. 3004.76 crore and 41 cases of misappropriations, defalcation etc involving Rs. 597.63 crore pending finalization, highlighted the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report for DIMAPUR, MARCH 28 the year ended March 31, 2016.

(MExN): All the registered The Report was laid today Job Card Holders under at the Nagaland Legislative AsMGNREGA in Nagaland sembly. The report contains six have been asked to open chapters on five performance bank accounts to facilitate audits – implementation of direct cash transfer of wag- Right to Education Act 2009, es in their accounts. This Creation Maintenance and is in accordance with an- Management of Tourism infranouncement by the Cen- structure, Activities of Nagaland tral Government that Di- State Transport Department, rect Benefit Transfer (DBT) Nagaland State Lotteries, and will be implemented un- Computerization of Motor Veder MGNREGA with effect hicles Department including 12 from April 1, Commissioner Compliance audit paragraphs.

MGNREGA Kelei Zeliang stated in a press release. The 373 incomplete projects Programme Officers MGNThe Audit report which proREGA and BDOs have also vides an analytical review of the been asked to coordinate Annual Accounts of the State Govand assist the card holders in ernment revealed 373 incomplete opening the bank account at projects (estimate cost Rs. 3004.76 crore and actual expenditure inthe earliest.

category states, we are not benefitted in any manner.

In the past we used to get Block grant. All these block grants, we used to bargain with the Planning Commission. Today it is quite the reverse, there is no more block grant,” stated Zeliang.

He also pointed out that increase in government services, which are unavoidable, adds to the deficit but expressed hope that the level of deficit will be reduced next year.

“It depends on how the central scheme flows. The more central scheme flows in, the more state share we have,” he added.

Excess appointments unavoidable Meanwhile, dwelling on the issue of excess appointments in Nagaland, Dr. Liezietsu pointed out that appointments in sectors such as the School Education are unavoidable due to the increase of students every year.

In the past there might have been some excess appointment but we have de-

cided to be more careful now, the CM said. He, however, reiterated that appointment of more servants in some government sectors is unavoidable. “Somewhere if we have appointments which are not required we will see that those are checked in due course of time,” the CM assured.

Upliftment of the poor With the uplift of the poor as the major focus areas of the government, Dr. Liezietsu said that emphasis will be laid on subsidies.

Admitting the failures of the government that schemes and programs meant for the poor did not reach the beneficiaries in the past, the CM hoped that with the change of the system by the Centre, the benefits whether subsidies or healthcare should come straight to the beneficiaries and not through the departments.

On questions raised on why the programs are mostly external aids and the lack of programs within the State government, Temjen Toy supplemented

the CM that the State does not have resources of its own and have only Rs. 650 crores which have to go into meeting the State’s share.

“That is exactly the reason why the State has mentioned that we have to access as much Central aid as possible,” he added.

Clarifying to discussions and criticisms going around in Naga social circles and public forums over the applicability of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Nagaland, Toy stated that the GST is a “destination based tax” which is going to be implemented all over India.

“It is a destination based tax, which means, supposing I am the manufacturer in some other states what is due to me will come only after the product is sold... As a manufacturer it is in my interest that I know where the product is going... If Nagaland is outside the GST net, practically it means that we become a foreign country. No Indian manufacturer will send their products to Nagaland,” he stated.

order at the moment, as out of this state’s flexible fund, we have to provide funds for our priority state schemes such as LADP, VDB Grant-in-aid, UADP, and also for completion of ongoing works earlier undertaken under the state sector,” he said.

Negligible fund for works under State sector Dr. Liezietsu noted there is very little fund left for undertaking new works under the State sector and stressed on the need to economize the State’s nonplan revenue expenditures, while improving revenue mobilization so as to make more funds available for developmental works.

“We have to be particularly careful not to engage any person in excess of the sanctioned posts,” the CM maintained.

It was also stressed that the government departments should now focus more on effective implementation of centrally funded schemes and compete with each

other in availing such funds, instead of squabbling over the allocation of the rather small State flexible fund.

“This will be the best way we can take forward the developmental process in the state on faster track. I am bit worried by the fact that during 201617, out of the Central funded schemes of around Rs. 3344 crores indicated to the state by the Central government, we have been able to access barely 50% till date. I feel we need to do lot of rethinking on this, and chalk out new strategies to improve our performance in availing central funds earmarked for our state,” the CM said.

Meanwhile, reflecting the changed financial arrangement and following the system adopted by the central government, the budget documents now classify the expenditures broadly as “Revenue Expenditure” and “ Capital Expenditure” and not as Non-Plan & Plan Expenditures as was done before.

Fuel adulteration: witness examination postponed

Morung Express News nation of witnesses was postponed due to the ULB Dimapur | March 28 election related bandh.

The PP added that the The June 2016 fuel adulteration case exposed by charges were framed at the ACAUT is in the trial the court of the Chief Justage with the court in dicial Magistrate (CJM), the process of examining Dimapur based on the witnesses. On March 28, charge sheet filed by the a scheduled cross exami- police in October 2016. nation of prosecution wit- The first cross examinesses in connection to nation of witnesses octhe case was postponed curred in December 2016.

As many as 68 proseto May next.

The postponement cution witnesses are likely was attributed to the to depose before the CJM ‘pen-down strike’ by as the trial progresses.

Among the evidences state government employees. The Public Pros- to be examined include ecutor (PP) handling the the reports of the forencase informed that on sic analyses of petroleum account of the strike, the products and chemicals cross examination has found from the suspected been postponed to May adulteration units, which were sealed by the police.

2 and 3.

As for the ACAUT, it is This was not the first instance of scheduled hopeful that justice will court proceedings de- be delivered. “Hopefully, ferred, with regard to the the case will be decided case, since charges were favourably in public inframed in November terest,” commented a 2016. Earlier in February, member of the ACAUT a scheduled cross exami- media cell.

cAG report: Gross mismanagement of rs. 597.63 crore

373 incomplete projects in 36 departments

MGNREGA workers directed to open bank account

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curred Rs. 2100.61 crore) relating to 36 departments out of which 211 projects (estimate cost Rs. 2110.91 crore and actual expenditure Rs. 1091.36 crore) were due to be completed by March 2016 but remained incomplete till October 2016. Two projects (estimated cost Rs. 10.93 crore and actual expenditure Rs. 10.47 crore) were suspended or abandoned.

Due to delay in completion of the projects, AP Chophy, Accountant General (Audit) later stated in a press conference in at the AG Office, the intended benefits from these projects did not reach the beneficiaries in the State. The date of completion of the rest 57 projects could not be furnished by the departments.

Collection of fees against RTE act Chophy further informed that a sum of Rs. 30.03 lakh were collected as fees from the children in the 3 test-checked districts in government schools as grants were not released. This is in contravention of Right to Education Act, 2009, he added.

Further, the CAG detected avoidable expenditure of Rs. 11.96 crore incurred due to excess procurement of school uniform. Till September 2016, a total of 10,690 teachers (65%) in government schools were yet to be trained, which according to the CAG, “compromise on the quality of education in the State.”

cAG laments inaction on reports

KoHIMA, MARCH 28 (MExN): The Accountant General (Audit) of Nagaland, AP Chophy today lamented the failure to take action on CAG reports. “In some way, yes it is frustrating because we don’t get to see the result of the findings,” expressed Chophy during a press conference held at AG Office, Kohima. “The responsibility, the mandate oftheCAGistoaudittheStategovernmentandpresentareportonthe irregularities and shortcomings to the Assembly. After this, the report is examined by the Public Action Committee (PAC) of the Assembly,” Chophystated. “ItisforthePACtogivearecommendation,totakeaction on the report. We do not have the mandate to action.”

‘Nil’ returns on investment The average return of the investment of the Rs. 290.60 crore made by the Government in Statutory Corporations, rural banks, Joint Stock Companies and Co-operatives at the end of March 2016 was ‘Nil’ during the previous four years (2011-15) while there was a return of Rs. 4.95 crore during 2015-16.

“Timely submission of utilization certificate is a major area of concern,” stated Chophy while highlighting the findings on the Financial Reporting (an inventory of Nagaland Government’s compliance with various requirements and financial rules) where 76 Utilization certificates involving an aggregate amount of Rs. 145.98 crore were pending for submission even after a lapse of one to five years from various departments. Further, 41 cases of misappropriations, defalcation

etc involving 597.63 crore in 15 departments, private firms and various other departments were pending finalization.

private individuals without executing deed of agreement with the Department, the report said.

Further, under the Department, Rs. 50.74 lakh received as compensation from National Highway Authority of India through the Deputy Commissioner, Dimapur was not deposited into the Government account.

Compliance Audit Paragraphs The Executive Engineer of Public Works (Roads and Bridges) Division Dimapur made excess and inadmissible payment of Rs. 8.01 crore to a contractor by arbitrarily increasing the rates of three items of work, the CAG report said. The CAG findings also revealed that a Block Development Officer transferred an amount of Rs. 2.53 crore to two private bank accounts out of the fund of Rs. 8.69 crore received under MGNREGS during 2013-14 where misappropriation of Rs. 2.53 crore could not be ruled out.

The Department of Fisheries obtained fund of Rs. 4.99 crore from the GoI on basis of doubtful beneficiaries list and the full amount was paid to an individual who was not among the eligible beneficiary. Out of which, Rs. 1.77 crore was without actual execution of civil works.

Tourism infra lies dormant Two projects (Mega Destination Dimapur and Tourist Destination Chesezu) were abandoned after incurring a total expenditure of Rs. 15.95 crore while the Convention Centre, Dimapur constructed at the cost of Rs. 4.57 crore is currently lying dormant as the facilities approved were not provided. A total of Rs. 19.63 crore was paid by the Department for unexecuted items of work.

The State Institute of Hotel Management Dimapur which was constructed with Rs. 17.69 crore is yet to be functional even after nine years. 16 infrastructure developed by the Tourism Department through GoI fund- Nagaland State Lotteries ing were illegally occupied by The selection of distributor

for conducting lotteries, according to the CAG report, is not transparent which led to a court case.

During 2010-16, against the total receipt from the sale of tickets of 17,653.74 crore the net proceeds was Rs. 4579.17 crore. Against this, the share of the State Government in the form of was only Rs. 56.93 crore (1.24 %) while the distributor’s share was Rs. 4522.24 crore (98.67 %). During 2010-11 to 2014-15, the profit and loss accounts of the distributor showed that the distributor received Rs. 10.73 crore as prize money on unsold tickets which was not remitted to Government account.

Activities of NST The Department irregularly diverted funds from the revenue receipts to meet departmental expenditure, according to the report. The Department also claimed subsidy from GoI for 703 chartered services used by VIPs and Government officials on subsidized rate.

Computerisation of Motor Vehicles Department Instances of short remittance of revenue to Government account ranging from Rs. 1.06 lakh to Rs. 2.55 crore in selected district were noticed. Till March 2016, revenue of Rs. 8.37 crore was retained in a bank account in contravention of the terms of agreement.

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THE MORUNG EXPRESS

‘Year of Construction Workers 2016-2017’: Harnessing Local Skills Youthnet Kohima

The environment that we live in is filled with the byproduct of construction. Whether it is roads, schools, buildings, hospitals, etc, construction impacts our lives, and very often, also determines the quality of our lives. What’s more is that this sector has so much scope for the unemployed youth and our local skilled workers to engage themselves in.

During the Nagaland Youth Summit 2016, the then Chief Minister of Nagaland, T.R Zeliang had pointed out that while the talent and proficiency of our youth are poised to propel our state to progress and prosperity, there is a vital gap in our human resource. He was especially referring to the lack of construction workers in the state, and the very odd situation we are facing, wherein for all the construction of buildings and roads, we are still dependent on those workers from outside. “The moot question is, the issue of dependence on outside workers, even for construction of our churches, needs to be pondered over seriously – are we on the right track to prosperity?” he had asked.

Pertinently, the year 20162017 was declared as the “Year of Construction Workers.” This is one sector that needs to be harnessed by our local people.

As the Advisor to the chief minister, Lalthara would put it, “We are making noises about IBIs all the time, everybody is talking about them but at the same time, we cannot do anything without them. Nobody wants to construct the roads, nobody wants to take up construction work…” There is a pressing need to realise that this is required for our survival and in his words, “there is actually honour in it.” Development, he said, is now only with construction and “we want our people to take this job.”

Mmhonlumo Kikon, MLA, who previously led the committee for the ‘Year of Construction Workers’ as the Convener felt that, “for a very long time the state of Nagaland has witnessed the influx of migrants, both legal and illegal, taking away our jobs in the construction sector with money flowing out of the state while the state is reeling under the unemployment burden.

Whereas we have seen some Naga youths taking up the construction work as a labourer or plumber or electrician or even as a mason, we have not given it the importance it deserves as a sector where both unemployment and also the economy of the state can benefit.”

He said that ‘this is on a pilot scale and will give birth to a mushrooming of unemployed Naga youths getting into the booming

construction sectors with definite skill sets to tap into both the job market under it and also build a work culture which will change the society in the long term.’

Stating that the sector has the potential to absorb a minimum of one lakh unemployed youths wherein the target can be set for a period of five years to achieve that, he said, “that way the high attrition rate of Naga youths working outside of the state can be addressed and the impact of unemployment on the government exchequer will be curtailed to a large extent and the Government can focus on providing sufficient funds for the development once we have youths clamouring for the private sector rather than the government sector.” “Work and earn will be the new mantra of Naga youths once it is fully implemented!” he impressed upon.

For the President of the Nagaland Contractors and Suppliers’ Union (NCSU), Pele Khezhie, ‘construction is Nagaland’s only industry’. But sadly, we haven’t been able to protect it, he said.

Nonetheless, he is hopeful that the declaration of the ‘Year of Construction Workers’ will change the mindsets of the people both regarding construction and labour as well as the ‘government service mindset.’ Towards this end, he also stressed on giving importance on the emergence of private firms and

corporations, and added, if we continue to depend on outsiders for this sector, the future is bleak.

To fill this huge gap in the construction sector, YouthNet had earlier conceptualized “Dial Nagaland” in July 2016, while recognizing the need to address the issue of inaccessibility of local skilled workers including the innumerable skilled people from it is across the state. “Dial Nagaland” is a classified directory of local skilled workers which the public can gain access to, for different services and currently has a database of about 130 skilled workers. This has been initiated as part of YouthNet’s Impact 5000 by 18, a five year program on entrepreneurship, skill development and employment. A total of 80 professional skilled workers through ‘Dial Nagaland’ are re-

sponding to the needs of different clients and customers in areas such as carpentry, plumbing, electrification, painting, tiles and marbles.

Following the declaration at the Nagaland Youth Summit 2016, the ‘Year of Construction Workers 2016-2017’ was also formally launched on March 25, 2017 at the Directorate of Employment, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship by Dr. T.M Lotha, Advisor of the concerned department and also Convener of YOCW. The project, which is to be implemented in partnership with Zynorique Initiative Society (ZIS) will train 550 youths comprising of 50 trainees from each district, and can be seen as a great leap towards harnessing the huge resources the state has in the construction sector.

Financial implication For implementation oF Year oF construction Workers sl.no.

Component

Amount

1

M/s. Zynorique Initiative Society

9202500

2

Youth Net

2212520

3

Project Implementation Cell (PIC)

a

IT Equipment

1272000

b

Office Maintenance

500000

c

Manpower (Outsourcing)

228000

4

Project Monitoring & Evaluation

1584980

Total

15000000

Celebrating Wangwan: Konyak Aoleang Monyu from April 1 to 6 Konyak Union

Mon Introduction and Significance of Aoleang Monyu: Konyak Aoleang Monyu or the spring festival is the biggest festival (Monyu) that invoke upon “Wangwan” or the divine spirit for his manifold blessings on every deeds and dreams.

April 1 t0 6 is considered as the most favorable period of time where nature sprinkle itself its fresh green life into a new blooming buds and leaves. It celebrates the beauty of time for the dry and cold winter had long been gone and hot and rainy summer has not yet arrived. It is also a period of transition from an old sowing cycle into a new sowing cycle/year.

Aoleang Monyu also heralds the advent of a new year in one’s life.

The celebration symbolizes

“Purity, Clarity and Freshness” in one’s life that renew its Mind to be focused with utmost dedication and sincerity. It also marked to pay final homage to the departed soul.

They then gear up to walk ahead and face all hurdles and pain. Major transition in one’s life also takes place during such auspicious period of time. Young boys and girls marktheirattainmentofadulthood by wearing traditional attires and outfit and joining the ways of their elders by singing and dancing.

It is also the period that celebrates togetherness with friends and loved ones before they venture out into world of uncertainties. Primarily, the celebration is marked by much singing, dancing and feasting. Married lady members (Sister/daughter) from the family are being honored

with special invitation and gift.

This period of jubilation ignites ones’ soul to seek for forgiveness and reconciliation through companionship, sharing of feast, singing and dancing together. It is the period of time that displays its pride, trophies and colorful attires that had been carefully preserved over a year. Hence, to mark and honor this auspicious celebration, the Konyaks of Nagaland, Assam and Myanmar are all geared to observe the “Aoleang Monyu” starting from April 1 to 6. Apart from numerous community based celebration, the Konyak Union (KU) is organizing three Mega Aoleang Monyu programmes at Kohima, Mon and Dimapur.

CROSSWORD # 3900

ku appeals: While appealing the State Government to consider special leave for all konyak employees on account of Aoleang Monyu, the Konyak Union (KU) in tune with its traditional practices and norms appeals its citizen to abstain from any forms of indebtedness and hatreds. The period of love and reconciliation that resolves all differences should be uphold by every citizen whereby creating an enabling environment for peace, tranquility and integrity in the spirit of oneness and forgiveness.

mon town: At Mon Town, the Apex Konyak Union (KU) is organizing the festive programme on April 4 with Chief Minister of Nagaland Dr. Shürhozelie Lizietsu as chief guest and Sabu Battcharyya (Managing Director NEC Pvt Ltd) as the special guest.

Answer Number # 3895

std code: 03862

DiMaPUR ACROSS 1. Type of antelope 6. Wings 10. Smack 14. Double-reed instruments 15. Whacks 16. Tibetan monk 17. Reporter 19. False god 20. Interference 21. South southeast 22. Damson 23. A Biblical measure 25. Utilizers 26. Does something 30. Yield 32. Turmeric 35. Estrogenic hormone 39. Funeral vehicle 40. Reddish brown 41. Take up the cause 43. Connected by kinship 44. Finally 46. Nonvascular plant 47. Procrastinate 50. Scoundrels 53. Expresses relief 54. Petrol 55. Revile 60. Therefore 61. Unfit 63. French for “Black” 64. Enemies 65. Birdlike 66. Writing table 67. Run away 68. Relaxes DOWN 1. Male offspring 2. Foment 3. Hawkeye State 4. A feat 5. Savory jelly 6. Arrive (abbrev.)

7. Famous dog 8. An ardent early supporter

Simple Rules - Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

Game Number # 3896

tion programme on April 4 at the DDSC stadium at 11:00. C. L. John, Minister for RD and REPA would be gracing the occasion as the chief guest and Tovihoto Ayemi, Parliamentary Secretary for Economic and Statistic as guest of honour.

Dimapur: Under the patronage of the Konyak Union Dimapur and Chumukedima, the Konyaks of the kohima: Under the patronage of Dimapur District would be orgathe Konyak Union Kohima (KUK), nizing its Aoleang Monyu celebra-

leisure

SUDOKU

the celebrative festival will be held at the Naga heritage village on April 1, at 11:00 am. Minister for PHED Chotisuh Sazo had been consented to grace the celebration as chief guest and RB Thong, Addl Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner as the guest of honor.

Soil is one of the most important natural resources, is the medium in which our food, clothing and shelter are produced. It is created by a slow and constant physical and chemical breakdown of rock and the action and turnover of living organisms. It takes approximately 500 years to replace 1 inch of soil by these process, making it critical to keep the soil fertile and productive as well as to prevent erosion. Plants are not independent organisms but are highly dependent on many critters in the soilfungi, bacteria, nematodes, micro-arthropods, protozoan, insects, worms etc.

The foundation of organic farming lies in the health of the soil. A fertile soil provides essential nutrients to a growing crop plant and helps support a diverse and active biotic community. If the soil is not healthy, the plant will not be either. So, in an organic system, feeding the soil is a primary way to help nourish plants, fight disease and pests and to feed the soil, organic matter should be added every season. Organic matter includes:Animal manures: Livestock manure is being used to fertilize soils of both organic and sustainable farms.

Animal manures provide essential nutrients required to grow healthy plants. In addition, animal manure adds organic matter to soil, improving microbial activity, water drainage and overall soil structure. However, not all animal manure is suitable for fertilizer: For example, cat and dog manure are not usable. The best animal manure fertilizers come from livestock, fish, worms and even bats.

Cover Crops: Cover crops are annual, biennial or perennial herbaceous plant and these crops provides cover and helps in loosening compacted soil through the root growth and improve water infiltration. Cover crop prevents soil erosion caused by both water and wind, suppress weeds, and reduce insect pests and diseases. In addition, a legume used as a cover crop provides nitrogen to the soil. Common cover crops are cow peas, forage sorghums, rye, buckwheat, sweet clover and millet.

Green manures: Green manuring is the practice of ploughing or turning into the soil the green plant tissue for improving the physical condition as well as fertility status of the soil. During decomposition process by the organisms in the soil, organic matter and nutrients become available to the crop plants. Also green manure suppresses weeds and soil borne diseases, increases soil’s biodiversity by stimulating the growth of beneficial microbes and other soil organisms. Eg:- Sun hemp, dhaincha, cluster bean, Ipomea, karanj (Pongamia glabra), Gliricidia sepium, Sesbania speciosa, Jatropa gossipifolia, Sesbania grandiflora, Leucaenea leucocephala and several species of Acacia and Prosopis.

Crop rotations: Crop rotation is the growing of different crops in a regular order on a same land for a fix period keeping in view of the fertility status of soil. Crop rotation also reduces erosion, insect and diseases risk and diversified farm income. In the rotation, leguminous crop-non leguminous crop, more exhaustive crops-less exhaustive crops e.g. potato, sugarcane, maize- oilseeds, pulses, erosion promoting crops (millets)-erosion resisting crop (legumes) should be included.

So, the operative activity should not be feeding plants but rather encourage a healthy soil ecosystem in which plants will naturally thrive and play a part in maintaining these cycles.

Dr. T Esther Longkumer ACTO-Soil Science KVK Phek, ICAR-NRC on Mithun

TaHaMZaM

std code: 03871

(formerly senapati)

Police station Fire Brigade

222246 222491

9. Feudal worker 10. Backwash 11. Soup server 12. French for “Love” 13. Inner surface of hands 18. Euro forerunner 24. Brassiere 25. Up to 26. Throb 27. Prompts 28. Snare 29. Fancy designs in wood 31. Being 33. Normal 34. Untidyness 36. Within 37. 1 1 1 1 38. Boys 42. C2H5OH 43. Type of whiskey 45. Renter 47. Go on a buying spree 48. Spasm 49. Auspices 51. 56 in Roman numerals 52. Indian instrument 54. Backtalk 56. Wash 57. Nile bird 58. Level 59. Cravings 62. Utilize

Civil Hospital

232224

emergency

229529 229474

MH Hospital

227930 231081

Fire Brigade

2222952

Faith Hospital

228846

naga Hospital

2222916

shamrock Hospital

228254

oking Hospital

2243339

Zion Hospital

231864 224117 227337

Bethel nursing Home

2224202

northeast shuttles

08974997923

Police Control room

228400

KoHIMA Ps/oCs Contact numbers

Police Traffic Control

232106

north Ps

railway

131/228404

Answer to Crossword 3899

Airport Indian Airlines

229366 242441 225212

KOHiMa

O

R

Horse LeAsH Loot MIrtH ModeLs PArent PArtner PersPeCtIVe QUeen rAte resCUe rILe sPoUse tHAnK tIes todAY UrGe VIsIon worrY

D

east Police station

227607

west Police station

232181

south Ps

CIHsr (referral Hospital)

242555 242533

Zubza Ps

dimapur Hospital

224041 248011

Officer-in-Charge 8575045516 tseminyu Ps

8575045507

Officer-in-Charge 8575045517 8575045505

Officer-in-Charge 8575045515

248302, 09856006026

eden Medical Centre

248288

C

Chiephobozou Ps 8575045506

Kezocha Ps

nagaland Multispecialty Health & research Centre

R

8575045508

Khuzama Ps

232032, 231031

A

8575045502

Officer-in-Charge 8575045518

nikos Hospital and research Centre

E

8575045501

Officer-in-Charge 8575045520

Apollo Hospital Info Centre 230695/ 9402435652

S

std code: 0370

Officer-in-Charge 8575045510

Chumukedima Fire Brigade 282777

W ACorn ALIVe BACHeLor BLess CAPer dAre dIArY doUBt dreAM eMPtY erUPt eXtreMe FLAVor FLeet GrAnt GrAte GreAt GroCer HeALtH HoneY

Soil Fertility ManagementFeed the soil and the soil will feed the plant

8575045549

Officer-in-Charge 8575045538

H

women Cell

8575045509

Officer-in-Charge 8575045519 Control room

8575045500 (Emergency No. – 100)

FiRE STaTiONS

KoHIMA soUtH: 0370-2222952/ 101 (O) 9402003086 (OC) KoHIMA nortH: 7085924114 (O) dIMAPUr: 03862-232201/ 101 (O) 9856156876 (OC) CHUMUKedIMA: 7085982102 (O) 8732810051 (OC) woKHA: 03860-242215/101 (O) 8974322879 (OC) MoKoKCHUnG: 0369-2226225/ 101 (O) 8415830232 (OC) PHeK: 8414853765 (O) 8413822476(OC) ZUnHeBoto: 03867-280304/ 101 (O) 9436422730 (OC) tUensAnG: 8414853766 (O) 9856163601 (OC) Mon: 03869-251222/ 101 (O) 9862130954 (OC) Kiphire: 8414853767 (O) 9436261577 (OC) Peren: 7085189932 (O) 9856311205 (OC) LonGLenG: 7085924113 (O) 9862414264 (OC) we4 woMen HeLPLIne 08822911011 WOMEN HeLPLIne 181 CHiLD weLFAre CoMMIttee Toll free No. 1098 childline

MOKOKCHUNG

std code: 0369

Police station 1 Police station 2 Police station Kobulong Police station tuli Police station Changtongya Police station Mangkolemba Civil Hospital

9485232688 9485232689 9485232690 9485232693 9485232694 9485232695 2226216

woodland nursing Home

2226263

Hotel Metsüpen (tourist Lodge) 2226373/ 2229343

CURRENCY NOTES BUY (rs) seLL (rs)

Us dollars sterling Pound Hong Kong dollar Australian dollar singapore dollar Canadian dollar Japanese Yen euro thai Baht Korean won UAe dirham (Aed) Chinese Yuan

63.91 79.68 7.96 48.84 45.58 47.88 57.07 68.87 1.78 0.0552 16.84 9.00

66.81 83.56 8.87 51.24 47.83 50.23 60.30 72.20 1.99 0.0615 18.76 10.02

wednesday 29•03•2017

NAGALAND

15TH SESSION OF 12TH NAGALAND LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Tovihoto Ayemi lays Nagaland Economic Survey 2016-17

GSDP of 2016-17 at current prices is estimated to have increased to Rs. 21, 119 crores Our Correspondent Kohima | March 28

Parliamentary Secretary for Economics & Statistics Tovihoto Ayemi today laid Nagaland Economic Survey 2016-17 here on the floor of the House.

The economic survey is a summary of the performance of the state during the last one year. It is a supplement to the state budget document and elucidates the state of the economy and analyses the performance of its various constituents. It highlights topical concerns, fiscal positions of

the state, the extent of deployment of public funds, achievements, shortfalls and the initiatives taken by the government to accelerate the pace of economic progress in the state, stated Ayemi in the report.

“The Economic Survey of Nagaland 2016-2017 summarizes the activities of the various sectors in the state while simultaneously highlighting the fiscal position and policy initiatives of the state during the last one year, stated Kevileno Angami, secretary to Government of Nagaland in the publication adding that the Survey is anticipated to provide a realistic picture and understanding of the state to enable holistic planning and budgeting.

Y. Sacheo Ovung, Director Economics & Statistics stated in the pub-

lication that the Economic Survey of expenditure on consolidated fund at Rs. 13, 646 crore which was 7.70 Nagaland is an important document annually published by the Director% higher than 2015-16 (RE) estiate of Economics & Statistics. It conmate of Rs. 12, 670 crore tains information encompassing the • Revenue expenditure which aceconomic development and socio counts for 67.01% of the total economic progress of the state. budget expenditure during 201415 (Actual) steadily increased Nagaland Economic to 69.33 % in 2015-16(RE) and is Survey Highlights estimated to further increase to 70.84% in 2016-17 (BE) • GSDP of 2016-17 (AE) at current • During 2016-17 (BE), salary & wagprices is estimated to have ines which has the largest share withcreased to Rs. 21, 119 crores from in the state revenue expenditure inRs. 19, 214 crores in 2015-16 (QE) creased to Rs. 3972.49 crore from Rs. • During 2016-17 (BE) the total re3697.19 crore in 2015-16 (RE) ceipts of the state government • The area under major agricultural amount to Rs. 13, 870.98 crore as crops increased from 4, 01, 510 against 12, 060.99 crore in 2015-16 hectares in 2011-12 to 4, 29, 790 (RE) hectares in 2015-16. During 2016• Budget 2016-17 estimated total 17, the area under major agricul-

•

•

•

•

tural crops is estimated to have increased by 11, 200 hectares During 2016-17, total food grain production is anticipated to reach 7, 11, 430 MT up scaling it from production level of 2015-16 by 34, 530 MT As per the 19th Livestock Census 2014, the total livestock population of the state was 31, 91, 149 numbers against 50, 23, 269 numbers during 2007 census showing a negative growth of -36.47 % The total requirement of meat, milk and eggs during 2015-16 in monetary terms was Rs. 2146.92 crore, as per the sample survey report of 2015-16. However, the state produces only 52 % worth Rs. 1116.40 crore Against the Right to Education student teacher norms of 30:1 during

•

•

•

• •

2015, Government schools in Nagaland as whole has a ratio of 10:1 As on 31st December 2016, the total number of unemployed youth in the live register of employment exchanges of Nagaland was 68, 504 In 2015-16 the revenue collection from sale of power increased to 112.73 crores from 99.35 crore indicating a hike of Rs. 13.47 crore over the preceding year The total length of National Highway within Nagaland is 1546.70 km, out of which 1123.68 km is under Nagaland PWD and 424.3 km under BRO As on 31st December 2016, the state government has a total of 214 buses Nagaland has 593 health units spread over the 11 districts during 2014-15

Significant structural changes in the finances of state Our Correspondent Kohima | March 28

Chief Minister Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu today told the floor of the House that there have been significant structural changes in the finances of the state and in the state’s budget itself, consequent upon the implementation of the 14th Finance Commission’s recommendations with effect from the year 2015-16, and the replacement of the Planning Commission by NITI Aayog.

In the past, a substantial portion of our budget used to come under “Plan” head, which essentially consisted of plan assistance from the Government of India through the Planning Commission, given in the form of Normal Plan Assistance (NPA), Special Plan Assistance (SPA) and Additional Central Assistance (ACA) etc. Now, such plan assistances are no more available, and we have to depend on our own resources for many of our state’s specific developmental works, said Dr. Liezietsu in his budget speech.

He said the stand taken by the central government on this issue is that, as per the recommendation of the 14th Finance Commission, the devolution of shareable central taxes to the states have increased by 10% and therefore, the states now have enough resources to undertake their own state-specific development schemes.

“However, the story is quite different in the case of Nagaland and some other special category states.

Inspite of the 10% increase in our share of central taxes, we are still hugely in revenue deficit. That is why the 14th Finance Commission gave us substantial amounts in revenue deficit grants. But this deficit grant is just to cover the current revenue deficits; and there is no component for development works in it,” he said.

State govt to re-look into Nagaland Municipal Act Chief Minister Dr. Liezietsu further informed that the state government will have a thorough re-look into the Nagaland Municipal Act with a view to rectify any defects in the Act, and to incorporate new provisions and safeguards as may be found necessary.

“This process will be done in

consultation with the civil society, tribal organizations and other stakeholders. Let us hope for a positive outcome, with a broad consensus emerging on all contentious issues, which will pave the way for the smooth conduct of ULB elections in future,” Dr. Liezietsu said in his budget speech on the floor of the House.

On the recent incident arising due to agitations by tribal organizations against the urban local bodies election with 33% women reservation, he said “while it is the democratic right of every citizen to form groups or organizations, we, at the same time, need to learn how to resolve our differences through the process of dialogue and consultations, and to refrain from resorting to frequent bandhs and violence which are alien to our core Naga culture.”

Let us learn to be united and live together as a family so that our hands are strengthened in whatever we do as Nagas, he said and also stressed on the need to adapt some of our culture and traditions to meet the requirements of the present 21st century.

Water supply project in Kohima to be inaugurated in April The Chief Minister further informed that the project for augmentation of water supply to the capital town of Kohima is finally being put in place, and will be inaugurated during the month of April 2017. Announcing this in his budget speech on the floor of the House, Dr. Liezietsu extended congratulation to all those involve in making this possible. “It will bring much relief to the residents of the capital city, especially during the lean season,” he said.

Also stating that the work for 4-laning of the Dimapur-Kohima section of NH-29 has started during the current financial year, he said “This mega project, once completed, will place Nagaland in a central position in the Government of India’s Act East Policy.”

'Provide banking services to remote areas' The Chief Minister, in his budget speech, also called upon the banking fraternity to walk the extra mile in providing banking services to the remote corners of the state of the benefit for the rural people.

“We are also entering a new era

of public transactions, with the Government of India deciding to transfer subsidies and welfare schemes directly to the beneficiaries,” Dr. Liezietsu said.

After March 31, 2017, all subsidies and welfare schemes of the central government will be transferred to the beneficiaries through the Direct Benefits Transfer route, and all existing forms of cash payment will stop.

“This will bring about a huge increase in transparency and efficiency, and will ensure that government funds reach the genuine beneficiaries for whom they are intended,” the Chief Minister said.

Stating that the state faces a huge challenge in this area due to the absence of banking infrastructure in the interior areas, he said, “However, it is necessary for all concerned departments to make preparations of this eventuality, and ensure that systems are put in place so that the poor and needy are not deprived on account of failure of the departments.”

Supplementary demands for grants for 2016-17 The Chief Minister who holds the finance portfolio also presented the Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2016-17 on the floor of the House.

NLA Speaker Dr. Imtiwapang Aier said that discussion to this effect will take place on March 30.

Later, Dr. Liezietsu also laid a copy of the review of the trends in receipts and expenditure for the First, Second and Third quarter of the Year 2016-2017, as required under Section 11 of the Nagaland Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2005.

The Chief Minister also presented Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Social, Economic, Revenue and General Sectors of the year ended 31st March, 2016 (Report No.1 of 2017), Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and State Finances for the year ended 31st March, 2016 (Report No.2 of the year 2016), Finance Accounts (Volume 1 & 2) 2015-16 and Appropriation Accounts (2015-16).

Minister for Roads & Bridges Y. Vikheho Swu, Minister for National Highways & Political Affairs G. Kaito Aye, Minister For Environment, For-

ests & Climate Change Imkong L. Imchen, PHED minister Chotisuh Sazo, Parliamentary Secretary for NRE, Fire & Emergency Services Toyang Changkong Chang, Parliamentary Secretary for Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services S. Chuba Longkumer, Parliamentary Secretary for Jails, Science & Technology Hukavi Zhimomi, Parliamentary Secretary for Art & Culture Eshak Konyak, Parliamentary Secretary for Youth Resources & Sports Khekaho Assumi, Parliamentary Secretary for Mechanical Engineering and NSMDC Er. Vikho-o Yhoshii, Parliamentary Secretary for Election & Evaluation Torechu and Parliamentary Secretary for Economics & Statistics Tovihoto Ayemi also laid their respective departments annual administrate report 2016-17.

Earlier, NLA speaker Dr. Imtiwapang Aier made obituary reference on the passing away of Late Wokshing Phom, former MLA. On Naga political issue Dr. Liezietsu insisted that right from the beginning, and true to its election manifesto, the highest priority of DAN government has been on how to facilitate the peaceful resolution of the Naga political issue. Towards this, he said, it has been very pro-active right from day one.

In his budget speech, Dr. Liezietsu said the Political Affairs Committee of the DAN government, formed soon after DAN-I government was installed, had met leaders of various Naga political groups on several occasions, and had useful interactions with them. He said, recently after his assuming the office of chief minister, the government has constituted a new “Political Affairs Mission” in place of the erstwhile Political Affairs Committee, with a view to giving a new thrust and a mission approach to the peaceful resolution of the Naga political issue.

“This House had earlier formed a Joint Legislature Forum on Naga Political Issue right from DAN-I, which had been renamed in 2015 as Nagaland Legislators Forum on Naga Political Issue soon after DAN –III government became an opposition-less government,” he said.

The Speaker had further constituted the Parliamentary Working Committee of the Nagaland Legislators Forum on Naga Political is-

sue, which met the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister and other prominent political leaders in Delhi during 2015-16, and had sought their support for the peaceful resolution of the Naga political issue. The committee also had meetings and exchange of ideas with various Naga political groups.

“While admitting that our best efforts during these last 15 years are yet to yield the desired or expected final outcome, let me say that we should give no room for pessimism or despair to come in our way,” Dr. Liezietsu said.

With the signing of Framework Agreement by the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) in August 2015, and the active interest shown by the Government of India to take the Naga political issue forward to its logical and peaceful conclusion, let us all hope for a positive outcome in the near future, he added.

The chief minister said another positive outcome of the DAN’s proactive and peaceful approach to the Naga political issue has been the relatively peaceful atmosphere in the state during the last 15 years of DAN’s rule, as compared to the chaotic and conflict situation that prevailed during the preceding decade of the 1990’s.

“This relatively peaceful atmosphere has enabled the state government to carry out several important infrastructure development programmes in the social and economic sectors, while also enabling the common people to pursue their own development and livelihood issues in a relatively peaceful atmosphere,” he said.

On goods and services tax On the much awaited and debated Goods and Services Tax regime, which is finally expected to roll out with effect from July 1, 2017, Dr. Liezietsu today said that this new tax will be replacing about one dozen central and state levies with a single integrated tax.

“The key of benefits of this new tax regime will be reduction in the cost of movement of goods across the country, and reduction of the incidence of multiple taxation on the same commodity, which results in high prices and inflation,” he said.

Under the GST regime, the states will also be able to levy tax on certain

services, which will help boost revenue of the states.

One of the key features of this system is that all transactions will be online, Dr. Liezietsu said adding that the taxation department is actively engaging with the GST Council to ensure a smooth transition to the new tax regime along with the rest of the country.

Govt desires to exploit rich minerals to enhance economic status Nagaland government desires to exploit the rich minerals to enhance the economic status of the state with a view to uplift the living condition of the rural people where rich mineral deposits are available.

This was stated in the annual administrative report 2016-17 of Nagaland State Mineral Development Corporation Limited (NSMDC) tabled on the floor of the House here today by Parliamentary Secretary for Mechanical Engineering and NSMDC Er. Vikho-o Yhoshii.

The Report stated that NSMDC, fully owned by the state government was set up by the state government and incorporated in May 1981 under the Companies Act 1956 with the main objectives of initiating commercial exploitation of limestone, coal and other mineral deposits and promoting, establishing and developing economic activities in mines and mineral based industries.

The report stated that the successive plans have been formulated with the basic aim to promote and facilitate mineral based industries in the state for economic growth as well as for generation of employment opportunities.

The report stated that planning strategies are focused to achieve the following objectives; development of infrastructures such as construction and upgradation of mineral link roads and improvement of power in collaboration with the nodal departments, initiation of mineral based industries by facilitating and involving the people/private sector with technical guidance and assistance from the government through the corporation so as to generate economic growth and employment with full justification in quantified terms and to enter into profit sharing ventures with private companies in various limestone and other mineral based projects.

JSUN calls off bandh at GHSS Jalukie Will not tolerate dereliction of duties NLA adopts resolution Jalukie, March 28 (MexN): The Ja- pointment of “outsider” to a grade IV post by government employees, YAA warns on border fencing lukie Students’ Union Nagaland (JSUN) has in the school violating an MoU signed temporarily called off its “indefinite bandh” at Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS) Jalukie with effect from March 28.

The decision was made following “an assurance given by the School Education department and considering the inability to complete the appointment process due to pen down strike called by CANSSEA,” stated a press release from JSUN president, Haizin Mpom and general secretary, Pehiato Hingleu.

The students’ union had called the bandh beginning March 24 to protest ap-

between the Old Jalukie Village Council (OJVC) and Government of Nagaland. The union stated that it will wait for the CANSSEA strike to be called off. “However, failing to fulfill its (department) commitment the indefinite bandh will intensify more rigorously,” it added.

According to JSUN letter to the Principal of GHSS Jalukie, OJVC in its meeting held on March 27 resolved to give three days time to the department to “fulfill our demand in black and white immediately after CANSSEA strike is called off.”

Dhansiri board appeals for early construction of suspension bridge DiMapur, March 28 (MexN): The Dhansiri River Flood Control Board (DRFCB) today appealed to the authorised department to allot construction of suspension bridge at Old Dhansiri Bridge at the earliest for the safety of the public in general before any incident arises at the site.

While government authorised persons have started dismantling and reconstructing the Old Dhansiri Bridge in full swing, residents living on both sides of the river are facing difficulties as they have to commute daily for various activities, DRFCB Vice-Chairman & PRO Hekuto Wotsa said in a press note.

Each day over 1000 commuters, especially the poorer section of the society who cannot afford transportation fare, are precariously plying on the old bridge route as well as the temporary structure meant for telecom cables, it said.

“In accordance to the view of the public it is the sole responsibility of the contractor to build the suspension bridge for the safety of the public,” it added.

If not, the Board appealed to the authorised department to allot the construction of suspension bridge at the earliest for the safety of the public.

DiMapur, March 28 (MexN): The Yimchungrü Akherü Arihako (YAA), the frontal students’ organization of the Yimchungrü tribe, on Tuesday cautioned government officers and staff of various departments posted under its jurisdiction that it would not compromise nor tolerate dereliction of duties.

In a press statement, YAA president S Yansomong and general secretary Achung Jangleh said it has detected government officers and staff of various departments posted in its jurisdiction taking undue advantages of the remoteness of the region by disregarding their assigned duties.

Expressing concern that the public has to undergo various hardships and inconvenience in their absence, the YAA has directed all the officers posted under its jurisdiction to immediately be stationed in their respective places of posting so that any pertinent matters can be addressed to with

prompt and effectiveness.

In this connection, the students’ organization also sought cooperation from the district administration of Shamator and Pungro to ensure the attendance of every government employee in their respective place of postings.

Also taking serious note of reports that most of the Village Council Chairmen and VDB secretaries were residing in towns and all the while neglecting the assigned duties and affairs of their village, the YAA has directed all the VCCs and VDB secretaries to remain in their respective village and look after the welfare of the villagers.

Furthermore, the YAA informed that it would be monitoring the absence of teachers within its jurisdiction as well as irregularities and misuse of various welfare funds of the students. The students’ organization warned that it would not hesitate to forward to the competent authority for appropriate action against any erring teacher or

officer and staff.

The YAA also brought to knowledge the rampant transfer of teachers along with post, which have reportedly been taking place in various schools without the knowledge of the concerned VECs. Terming this as highly questionable, the YAA said it would not remain a silent spectator to such decisions of the state government and the department concerned.

The YAA also appealed the state government to do away with ‘pending salaries’ culture and see that welfare of the teachers appointed under CSS projects are equally taken care of.

Meanwhile, all the YAA officials including advisors have been informed to attend co-ordination meeting on April 4, 2017 at Shamator. Members may put forward agenda/grievances to any YAA officials or through email at yimchungruakheruarihako@gail. com, the press statement informed.

Our Correspondent Kohima | March 28

The 15 session of 12th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) today adopted the government’s resolution on border fencing.

The House, through the resolution, requested the Government of India to impress upon the Government of Myanmar to permanently drop the project of constructing fencing on the Indo-Myanmar border in Nagaland with a view to continue the cordial and fraternal relations amongst the Nagas living on both sides of the border.

Further, the house also passed two Government Bills – Nagaland Cooperative Societies Bill 2017 and Nagaland Appropriation Acts (Repeal) Bill 2017.

Nagaland Cooperative Societies Bill 2017 is to consolidate and amend the law relating to cooperative societies within the territorial limit of the state of Nagaland, to facilitate the voluntary formation and democratic functioning of cooperative societies as people’s institution based on Self- Help, Mutual Aid and Sound Business principles and, to enable its members to promote their economic needs so as to bring about higher standard of living for social betterment.

The bill is also to repeal the Assam Co-operative Societies Act, 1949, which has been operative in the state from its inception till date.

Nagaland Appropriation Acts (Repeal) Bill, 2017 is to repeal obsolete and redundant laws that were enacted by Parliament during President’s Rule in states, and which have become irrelevant or dysfunctional, which the State Legislature has the competent power to amend or repeal those Acts. th

6

WEDNESDAY 29•03•2017

IN FOCUS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

The Power of Truth

The Morung Express VOLUME XII ISSUE 85

By Dr. Asangba Tzüdir

The Need for a Finance Minister

T

he finance portfolio finds comfortably nestled in the hands of the Chief Minister since the ouster of K. Therie, the then Finance Minister. Since his ouster, the Nagaland state government has kept the finance portfolio with the Chief Minister and having no time frame, the finance portfolio has been ‘normalized’ as the Chief Minister’s portfolio. This has remained ‘unquestioned’ for many years now with the Chief Minister having to present the state budget.

What is intriguing is that the two most important portfolios is being held by one person which speaks volumes about the existing ‘governmental’ power structure in Nagaland. The absence of a Finance Minister also gives more power so also ‘unaccounted power’ to the planning department.

The Chief Minister presenting the budget and giving a statement of the estimated receipts and expenditure of the State for a financial year does ‘not assure’ the rest of the aspects related to budget. What have remained ignored and unquestioned for these many years are the aspects related to budgeting.

A major element of financial data activities rests in the act of budgeting where finite resources to the prioritized needs of the various departments are allocated. Budgeting also provides an important tool for the control and evaluation of sources and the use of resources. It goes a lot into the control and execution of activities which have been authorized by the budget and on which financial performance can be evaluated on the budgeted and the actual.

Thus, the whole process of budgeting is to maintain financial accountability not simply for the sake of fulfilling book accounting, but that, a clear financial direction is provided for the overall growth of the economy. Since budget is like a legal document that authorizes spending what needs to be clearly studied is the level of planning that goes into the making of the budget.

The absence of a Finance Minister; budgeting; so also financial accountability, has had a forceful impact on the financial status of the state. The financial mismanagement and the huge fiscal deficit is a clear case of improper planning where the departments may just get lump sum amounts and not based on a properly worked out receipts and expenditures. And in the absence of a proper budgeting, money can be overly used under Non-Plan heads.

As a case in point, the state Non-Plan expenditure head for the period 2016-2017 excluding servicing of debts stood at a whooping amount of 6129.32 crores (Source: DIPR). Such a hefty amount is just ‘passed off’ under non-plan expenditure.

Irrespective of the nature and ‘necessity’ of any expenditure coming under non-plan, it only reflects the absence of a proper financial planning process and budgeting especially when the state is running under a huge deficit.

The finance portfolio seems like a ‘special package’ meant for the Chief Minister but what is needed is a Finance Minister to ‘relieve’ the Chief Minister of this added responsibility whether he likes it or not. There may be counter arguments but a Finance Minister needs to be in place not simply to fulfill the ‘technicalities’ including the preparation of annual fiscal budget, but to put on record and ensure a proper process of budgeting and having adequate regulations for its execution throughout a financial year. This will not only create financial accountability but also provide a clear financial working direction within a proper plan.

(Dr. Asangba Tzüdir contributes a weekly guest editorial to The Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)

LEFT WING |

David Prentice The Diplomat

Taiwan's 'Little Burma' Huaxin Street in Taipei is home to many of Taiwan’s 40,000 Burmese immigrants

A

short five-minute walk from the Taipei metro terminal station of Nanshijiao lies Huaxin Street. It is here, nestled away in the concrete jungle that makes up Zhonghe District — one of the most densely populated parts of the planet — that Taiwan’s Burmese population has settled over the past several decades. The roughly 40,000 Burmese immigrants that now call Huaxin Street and the surrounding area home constitute one of Taiwan’s largest immigrant populations.

Huaxin Street is undoubtedly the center of this bustling Burmese community. Here, the sight of Burmese language signs on almost every shop façade and elderly gentlemen sipping tea at the side of the road bring a distinctly Burmese feel to an otherwise featureless neighborhood. Restaurants and small eateries line Huaxin Street selling everything from rich Burmese curries to Indian cakes and bowls of cheap but delicious noodles. Local grocers sell Southeast Asian staples such as banana stem, an essential ingredient in monhinga soup, considered by many to be Burma’s national dish.

Huaxin Street, or “Little Burma,” has its origins in the Chinese Civil War. With the war drawing to a conclusion in the late 1940s, many Kuomintang troops fighting the guerrilla Communists were forced to flee over the border to neighboring Burma (known today as Myanmar), then still part of British India. When the Civil War ended and Chiang Kai-shek was forced to flee across the strait to Taiwan, many KMT troops were thus left behind in Burma, pending instructions to retake the mainland. Those instructions never came, and these men were subsequently trapped in Burma.

When it became obvious that a KMT invasion of the mainland was a distant pipe dream, those left in Burma were repatriated to Taiwan. By 1954, estimates suggest that around 7,000 soldiers and dependents were given residency and evacuated to Taiwan. Those evacuated to Taiwan also included overseas Burmese-Chinese who had roots in Burma for decades prior to the Chinese Civil War. Whilst most chose Taiwan as their new home, other options were available, and subsequently some moved to Hong Kong and Macau. Other even moved as far away as Brazil. In the decades that followed, thousands more were to make the move to Taiwan.

Moving to Taiwan, then deeply impoverished, presented quite the shock to these migrants. Chen Mei Zhu from the local KMT Party office told The Diplomat that she and her family “cried almost every day” when they first arrived, and were made to do without basic provisions. “There was no coffee or toilet paper,” she said — both plentiful commodities in 1950s Burma, which at that time was far more prosperous than Taiwan. Furthermore, Burmese migrants often had trouble fitting into local Taiwanese life, which in the 1950s meant learning the Taiwanese dialect alongside Mandarin and Burmese.

Recent economic and political reforms in Myanmar have presented a number of opportunities to Taiwan’s Burmese community. Import and export companies have been hastily set up to cash in on favorable business conditions in Myanmar and more than 200 Taiwanese companies now operate in the country. Taiwan’s national carrier, China Airlines, now offers five to seven flights per week to Yangon International Airport, with 32,000 ROC citizens making the trip to Myanmar in 2015.

With President Tsai Ing-wen’s “New Southbound Policy” looking to revive Taiwan’s flagging economy, it seems inevitable that links between the two will only deepen. Taipei’s own “Little Burma” could be at the heart of those new connections.

C O M M E N T A R Y

KnowledgeWharton Fair Observer

Is a Universal Basic Income a Good Idea?

What if everyone on the planet received a guaranteed income whether or not they worked?

T

hat’s the idea behind the universal basic income (UBI)— and it is gaining ground globally. Government officials, some technology executives, philanthropists and academics from every continent are championing the idea as a way to combat rising wealth inequality and provide an income floor as new technologies are seen decimating jobs in the future.

However, the program’s effectiveness and affordability are far from settled discussions. Political hurdles must also be overcome for it to become reality.

This year, UBI was a hot topic at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, following discussion in 2016 of a “world without work.” In January, Finland launched a pilot program to give €560 for two years to 2,000 unemployed adults that replaces some social benefits. They will not lose the income even if they find a job. India’s government has endorsed the idea, too. Canada’s Ontario province is planning a pilot program, and last year the Swiss put UBI to a referendum, but it failed.

In the US, some Silicon Valley titans are championing the idea. At the recent World Government Summit in Dubai, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said autonomous technology will lead to high levels of unemployment and so some form of UBI is “going to be necessary.”

EBay co-founder Pierre Omidyar is testing the idea in Kenya while tech startup incubator Y Combinator is launching a pilot program in Oakland, California. But others, such as Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, remain unconvinced, noting that countries, even the affluent US, cannot afford it, and so governments should focus first on helping the poor, elderly and disabled.

expand in the U.S. is the idea of earned income tax credits, where we supplement the income of those who are working but don’t earn enough to live.”

Bidwell notes that “people are right to be concerned about how automation is changing the labor market, and the implications for inequality. I’m not sure, though, that [a UBI] is the solution.”

1960s and 1970s that yielded mixed results—the idea has resurfaced in recent years as concerns grew that self-driving technology, artificial intelligence and robotics will destroy many jobs. There is no consensus on how big the impact will be, but one 2013 estimate out of Oxford University is that 47% of US jobs are at risk of being automated in 20 years.

However, Peter Cappelli, Wharton management professor and director of the school’s Center for Human Resources, says he has yet to see evidence that robots are going to cause massive joblessness. Observes Kent Smetters, Wharton professor of business economics and public policy: “The evidence is that robotics is a labor complement and is increasing skilled wages. While robotics are replacing some lower-skilled jobs, the most efficient response is to Plan for the Future The views of Y Combinator presi- not kill the golden goose but to make dent Sam Altman exemplify the al- sure we have job training programs that truistic fervor behind universal basic are effective in increasing skills.” income. “We think everyone should Impossibly Expensive have enough money to meet their baFrom the point of view of econosic needs—no matter what, especially mists, a universal basic income is not if there are enough resources to make feasible. “Thoughtful liberals and conit possible,” he wrote in a blog post. servatives trained in economics are al“We hope a minimum level of eco- most universally against the idea,” Smetnomic security will give people the ters says. Former Clinton official and freedom to pursue further education economist Laura Tyson writes that “a or training, find or create a better job, UBI for the United States is as fanciful as and plan for the future.”

President Donald Trump’s border wall: Universal basic income does have It would be prohibitively expensive; and some practical and philosophical jus- it would not solve the problems that it tifications, according to Wharton man- is meant to address.” Universal basic agement professor Matthew Bidwell. income would benefit higher-income Philosophically, “one argument is that workers and distracts from immediall of us are benefiting from the invest- ate problems such as stagnant wages ments in society that were made by pri- and persistent poverty. Instead, the US or generations. The wealth of every one should expand benefits for existing proof us is underpinned by the technologi- grams such as Medicaid, critics argue. cal advances and institution-building Meanwhile, conservative economist of the past. A UBI allows the benefits of Martin Feldstein opines that a universal society to be shared across all of us.” income would be “impossibly expenPractically speaking, Bidwell adds, sive.” The former Reagan official says “it is simpler to implement than oth- paying for the program without raising er forms of welfare because it doesn’t the deficit would require “doubling the require means testing [for eligibil- personal income tax.” A universal baity]. Other forms of welfare benefits sic income that pays every American can also reduce incentives to work, $10,000 a year would cost about $3 trilbecause benefits get withdrawn as lion, Smetters says. Conservative econearned income goes up. UBI does not omists do not like it because it would harm economic growth, he adds. have that problem.”

“Arguments for a UBI are coming While talk of providing a guaranteed income has been around for many more from political libertarians who see years—five major experiments were it as simplifying government redistribuconducted in the US and Canada in the tion as well as political liberals who just

like the idea of redistribution,” Smetters adds. However, “because of the cost, it will generally weaken the ability to target the poor by diluting the spending to everyone, which is why liberal economists don’t like it. In the end, any serious proposal has to confront the math, and I don’t see it passing in the United States during my lifetime,” he says.

Another issue is that to offer a meaningful level of universal basic income, taxes have to be high enough to pay for it. Low taxation will not work.

“Either we end up with a very low UBI, which would leave those reliant on it in abject poverty; or we end up with a higher UBI and far greater taxes than we are used to paying,” Bidwell says.

“I find it very hard to envision political support in this country for that kind of radical increase in taxation.” However, he adds, some rich nations with high tax rates could make this work.

Instead of a UBI to help the poor, Feldstein recommends the “negative income tax” plan advocated by two Nobel laureates, conservative economist Milton Friedman and James Tobin, a liberal Yale economist. Their idea is for all households under 65 years old to get enough money to keep them out of poverty if they had no other income; funding would decline as their income rose.

Feldstein sees this as “the best way possible to achieve simplicity, inclusiveness and moderate taxpayer cost.”

The US never adopted the “negative income tax” plan because of concerns that a family of four would get enough money to entice many to go on the dole, according to The New York Times. However, Congress did pass a modified version of it in the form of the earned income tax credit (EITC), where only working people received benefits.

Smetters favors this plan, which has bipartisan support and is “very effective at redistribution and does not have a lot of red tape” unlike other aid programs.

Adds Cappelli: “Most countries already have the idea of a safety net to provide income.” For example, Social Security payments in the US are a form of guaranteed income. “The issue is the amount and the eligibility of [UBI].

In the U.S., the importance of work for those who can do it is still fundamental, so I don’t see any prospects for a guarantee of income for those who can otherwise work,” he says. “What might

A Patchy Safety Net Benjamin Lockwood, Wharton professor of business economics and public policy, favors the idea of offering a guaranteed basic income, which he says is a better term than UBI. “We seem to have agreed—maybe tacitly— as a nation that it’s important to not let fellow citizens starve to death or die of exposure when they fall on hard times, go through a life transition, etc.”

Currently, the US already provides aid to low earners by providing such things as food stamps, housing vouchers and various refundable tax credits.

“Unfortunately, that’s created a hodgepodge of programs that are complicated to apply for and to administer, and so they often don’t reach the people who need the most,” Lockwood notes.

“Replacing some of those programs— except Medicaid—with a guaranteed basic income could both simplify and firm up our current patchy safety net.”

A guaranteed income “is part of the answer,” Lockwood says. “When automation or globalization makes skills obsolete, a safety net can be very helpful. Right now, many displaced workers take early retirement, some turn to disability insurance. A basic income could provide support without prohibiting recipients from developing new skills and seeking other employment.” He adds that the government should also encourage people to learn new skills and re-enter the workforce because it provides social engagement and boosts self-regard.

Like Cappelli, Lockwood favors an expanded EITC—he has done research on ways to improve it—but prefers to combine it with a “modest” guaranteed basic income to “actually raise wages and spur growth.” He sees it working two ways: “First, displaced workers would feel more secure and would be motivated to invest in developing skills in other industries, raising their employability and wages, rather than taking early retirement, seeking disability insurance or just cutting back on spending. Second, companies and policy makers would be less hesitant to adopt and encourage labor-saving technologies such as self-driving trucks, for example, if they were confident that workers had a safety net of support—and that would tend to encourage economic growth.”

In developing nations, a basic income could be beneficial especially to people on the ropes. “There is a growing body of evidence that cash grants provide useful resources which people can use as they see fit, and so cash is often more effective and generates a higher ‘return on investment’ than other sorts of international aid,” Lockwood points out. In the end, “that suggests that even a small basic income could do a lot of good.”

This article was originally published

by Knowledge@Wharton, a partner institution of Fair Observer

War survivors hope new law will unlock state land holdings Amantha Perera

F

Reuters Foundation

or almost two decades, Sivaraja Sivakumar has lived on a plot of land in the north of Sri Lanka - but he has no idea who owns it.

The 43-year-old father of two from Sri Lanka's Tamil minority says he prays every day that he is the rightful owner, but cannot be sure.

"I have no deed that says I am the owner, I have never had such a deed," he said.

In 1998, the young Sivakumar fled the northern town of Kilinochchi, the epicentre of Sri Lanka's 26-year civil war to Vavuniya, 80 km (50 miles) to the south.

There, with the help of a paramilitary group allied with government forces, he was settled on a small plot of land in the village of Nelukkulam, about 10 km from the main town.

As the bloody conflict escalated, Sivakumar tried to formalise his ownership of the land. "I had some documents, and I submitted them to various government bodies with no luck."

Sri Lanka's civil war ended in 2009, but the farmer still lacked land titles.

His predicament is common across the former combat zone, where civilians bore the brunt of the fighting.

Thousands of acres of land, some

privately owned, are held by government forces who set up security posts and buffer zones during the war, while others are held by other government agencies like the wildlife department.

Now, almost eight years after the war ended, hundreds of smallholders are pinning their hopes on the newlyminted Right to Information (RTI) Act to unearth details of who owns the land on which they live and work.

NEW OPENNES A Vavuniya-based youth group, the Association for Friendship and Love (AFRIEL) has been spearheading a campaign to submit RTI requests across Sri Lanka's Northern Province, seeking information on government land holdings.

By mid-March, a month after the law was passed, more than 1,000 RTI requests had been filed by citizens seeking information on land ownership and government acquisitions, said AFRIEL chairman, Ravidra De Silva.

"Before the act, all requests to government agencies on land matters never got answered," De Silva said while assisting villagers from Nelukkulam to submit applications.

"The RTI Act made it mandatory by

law that government officials answer these queries and within a specific time frame."

AFRIEL plans to help more farmers submit their applications. In Nelukkulam alone, De Silva estimates there are 800 families without proper land documentation.

During the last two weeks of March, AFRIEL will hold RTI camps in villages across the Northern Province to answer questions and speed up the process.

"We have also submitted RTI requests on military land holdings, land distributed by political parties and any compensation paid by the military for land acquisitions," he said.

Over 10,000 acres of private land in the Northern Province were held by the military, citing continued security concerns after the war ended in May 2009 when government forces defeated Tamil separatists. According to the Defence Ministry, so far 5,258 acres have been released to their rightful owners.

"It is not only about the high security zones held by the military, there are lots of other confusions ... because for three decades instead of holding onto land, people ran for their lives,"

WRITE-WING

De Silva said.

"GLASS BOX" AFRIEL's campaign was initially met with resistance from local government authorities who feigned ignorance of the RTI Act. "We had to convince them that the act was in fact law and that there was no alternative to accepting the applications."

De Silva said AFRIEL had now begun to receive some responses from government agencies. "At least three applications seeking information on military land acquisitions have been answered," he said.

The law has been welcomed by senior politicians as a step towards transparency in Sri Lanka, a drastic change from the past, especially during the civil war, when the government administration was obscured by bureaucracy and secrecy.

"It is like putting the government inside a glass box," media minister Gayantha Karunathilake told reporters.

Sivakumar hopes the minister's assessment is true, and he will soon get clarity over who owns his precious land.

"In the past, every time I have sought information on this land, I have just got blank stares from government officials," he said. "This time at least I have a slip that says they have accepted by query, that itself is a change."

Letters to the Editor should be sent to: The Morung Express, House No. 4, Duncan Bosti, Dimapur - 797112, Or –email: morung@gmail.com All letters (including those via email) should have the full name and Postal address of the sender.

Readers may please note that the contents of the articles, letters and opinions published do not reflect the outlook of this paper nor of the Editor in any form.

WednesdAY 29•03•2017

Morung Express Learning

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

7

7 grammar myths you learned in school er, take care before splitting those infinitives; many style guides and professors would still consider this a stylistic error.

These two sentences display split infinitives: She used to secretly admire him.

You have to really watch him.

Those who believe that split infinitives are grammatically incorrect would rewrite these sentences as: She used secretly to admire him.

You really have to watch him.

Avoiding splitting infinitives can change the emphasis of what’s being said. These sentences don’t have quite the same meaning: You really have to watch him. [i.e. ‘It’s important that you watch him’] You have to really watch him. [i.e. ‘You have to watch him very closely’]

G

rammar can be tough.

There are a lot of rules to follow, and a lot to wrap your head around. Some of the rules we learn in school, though, aren’t exactly accurate.

While some function as helpful guidelines for style and form, other so-called ‘rules’ are inventions, or ‘superstitions,’ as the lexicographer Henry W. Fowler called them.

Here are some common grammar myths: 1. You can’t end a sentence with a preposition Most of us learned in school that ending a sentence with a preposition was a mistake. This ‘rule,’ however, is misguided, dating from the 17th century, when several notable writers tried to codify English to fit more neatly with Latin grammar.

Clearly, there are instances where attempting to avoid ending a sentence in a preposition results in a statement that is either overformal or simply poor English. An over-formal example might be: ‘He told her that there was nothing of which to be frightened.’ An example of poor English (or Yoda English) might be: ‘Paid for the house had not been.’

In her myth-busting post on the issue, Catherine Soanes identifies four typical situations in which it is more natural to end a sentence with a preposition.

• passive structures (she enjoys being fussed over) • relative clauses (they must be convinced of the commitment that they are taking on) • infinitive structures (Tom had noone to play with) • questions beginning with who,

where, what, etc. (what music are 3. Double negatives are always ungrammatical you interested in?)

When two negatives are used to 2. You can’t start a communicate a negative, then the sentence with a conjunction usage is ungrammatical. The reason Another common grammar myth is the rule about starting sen- for this is that two negatives actually tences with conjunctions. Conjunc- cancel each other out and create an tions are words such as and, but, so, affirmative statement. For example, and if, which are used to connect the sentence ‘I don’t have nothing clauses, sentences, or words. This for you’ is ungrammatical because grammatical superstition arises from the presence of two negatives techthe thought that because these words nically switches the meaning to an are used to connect separate clauses, affirmative one, so that it means ‘I they suggest the presence of a frag- have something for you.’

Even though the use of double ment when used at the beginning negatives in formal speech and of a sentence. The argument against using and or but to introduce a sen- writing is nonstandard, the use of tence is that such a sentence express- double negatives is common in ares an incomplete thought (or ‘frag- eas such as informal speech and ment’) and is therefore incorrect. popular music (“Ain’t No SunHowever, this is a stylistic preference shine”). rather than a grammatical rule.

However, there is one use of

Phonetics & phonology workshop at SMHSS

a

workshop on Phonetics and Phonology was held in St. Mary’s Hr. Sec. School (SMHSS) for teachers and students by Sanchari Dutta from Kolkata, a Research Scholar Perusing PhD from University of Kolkata and a Teacher of South Point High School Kolkata, MA in Linguistic and gold medalist.

The first lecture was delivered on child language acquisition, different stages of language. Acquisition and the troubles faced by children while acquiring language. It also included the role of a teacher of children at their various formative stages. The second lecture delivered was on ELT or English Language teaching, why learning English is a necessity nowadays, guidelines for an English teacher and the linguistics of

Students and staffs with others during the Phonetics and phonology workshop held at St. Mary’s Hr. Sec. School.

English language with special emphasis on Phonetics and Phonology.

The students of classes IX and X were given various activities on their listening, understanding and grammatical skills.

A press lease informed that awards and certificate were

presented by “Avantika” to 15 Students, two teachers, Principal and Vice Principal for their hard work, excellent service and Motivation. Dr. Anand Agarwal, Director of Avantika, Dr. Sanjay Chabbra, Principal of Unity College and Teacher Nirmal were present.

Quiz #53

2. This 25-year old lady became the first woman combat officer to be commissioned in the 51-year history of the Border Security Force (BSF). what is her name? a) Tanushree Pareek b) Kiran Bedi c) Sanjukta Parashar d) Vimla Mehra 3. according to a 2016 wateraid report, india has the largest number of people living without access to safe water in the world. what is the number of people without access to clean water? a) 42,355,180 b) 65,255,120 c) 75,777,997 d) 92,455,668 4. a record breaking brown dwarf – a star too small for nuclear fusion – with the purest composition and the highest mass yet known has been recently identified by an international team of astronomers. what is the object known as? a) Halo b) Pisces c) RDRR H0104+1535 d) SDSS J0104+1535 5. who won the season opening 2017 Formula One australian Grand Prix? a) Kimi Raikonnen b) Lewis Hamilton c) Sebastian Vettel d) Valtteri Bottas This contest is open ONLY for students.

Cut and send in your answers to The Morung Express Office (address given below) or email to morunglearning@gmail.com Answers to Quiz #52: 1-d, 2-b, 3-b, 4-c, 5-c This Week Winner: Pututoshi Pranab Vidyapith Hr. Sec. School, Dimapur Each week, one lucky winner will be given a prize of Rs. 500. The winner may collect the same from The Morung Express Office, H/No.4, Duncan Basti, Dimapur within two weeks. *Winner should bring along a valid ID to claim the prize.

4. Splitting infinitives is a mistake For the uninitiated, splitting infinitives is the practice of placing an adverb between ‘to’ and the corresponding verb, as in ‘to lightly tap.’

Splitting infinitives is a common peeve of grammar enthusiasts, but like many such peeves it has been employed by well-regarded English prose stylists for centuries. Howev-

"The Crying Women" Since the day she was born, She was given the Feminine horn.

Wounded by the raw scars Still tried to please creatures from Mars.

Whipped up by the thinnest swords.

Ingrained on that unbearable pain Yet anticipate a smile in vain.

We never hear her cries No matter how hard she still tries Rubbing those tears from her sweater tip She holds on to swallow every hard sip Though no one hears, heaven surely does Silent prayers of crying women, around us.

- Moali Pongen

7. You cannot use whose to refer to things Yes, you can use whose to refer to things, not only people or groups of people. Sometimes, sticklers will insist upon rearranging the sentence using of which. The below is an example sentence on OxfordDictionaries.com using whose: Gasping for breath, they reached the row of houses whose gardens led onto the park.

This is the same sentence rewritten to accommodate of which: Gasping for breath, they reached the row of houses, the gardens of which led onto the park.

The rewritten version using of which is clearly awkward and unwieldy. The better option here is to simply use whose instead.

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Test of Tolerance

“Tolerance is wanted in the queues… in the street, in the office, at the factory, and it is wanted above all between classes, races, and nations.” These wise words were stated by E. M. Foster., the 19th Century English novelist. Tolerance is a virtue that many applaud, on the other hand, as the article raises, there also instances when we need to away with our tolerant or indifferent attitude and raise our voices for causes that matter. So, when do we practice tolerance and when do we not?

ParticiPate & win 1. what is the number of beneficiaries in nagaland under the Food Security act? a) 11,05,069 b) 14,03,579 c) 17,25,688 d) 19,03,577

double negatives that is entirely grammatical. In this use, the double negative is used to express and reinforce an affirmative, by way of denial or understatement. For example, take the sentence I couldn’t not help him. [meaning: I strongly felt I should help him] The straight affirmative version of that sentence – ‘I could help him’ – lacks the reinforced nature of the double negative version.

5. You can’t start a sentence with hopefully You absolutely can. This use of hopefully to mean ‘it is hoped’ rather than the adverbial ‘in a hopeful manner’ has been disputed in the past several years, though it has found its way into general acceptance. So despite the fact that all sentence adverbs were once frowned on, nowadays you should be able to use happily, along with most other sentence adverbs (such as sadly, strangely, or obviously).

So why are thankfully and hopefully singled out for particular opprobrium? The answer lies in the fact that hopefully and thankfully can’t be reworded along the lines of other sentence adverbs, using the constructions ‘it is hopeful that’ or ‘it is thankful that’: Hopefully, planning delays will be minimal.

X It is hopeful that planning delays will be minimal.

Instead, you have to reword such sentences along the lines of: It is to be hoped that planning delays will be minimal.

6. The passive voice should not be used Even though your teacher possibly warned you against it, the passive voice is perfectly acceptable.

The passive tends to be used in formal documents such as official reports or scientific papers, often where an action or situation is regarded as more significant than who or what did or caused it: active: Spain beat Brazil in the final match. passive: Brazil was beaten in the final.

For example, in the above active example, the victor and loser of the match are made perfectly clear by the active structure: ‘Spain,’ the subject of the sentence, beat ‘Brazil,’ the object of the sentence, in a match. In the passive example, the information about Spain is missing, thus the agent of Brazil’s loss remains unclear – what is most important is the outcome of the game, not the winner.

However, even though the use of the passive voice is perfectly permissible, most people favour the active voice because of how it provides a fuller account.

Limala Longchar, Visiting Faculty,Department Of english

“D

o not push my limits” is what best describes our feeling when any situation or circumstance exceeds our endurance level. It may seem like a sign of a person’s vulnerability as a human.These five magic words are likely to restrict a person from exposing an unattractive version of the self. But is it really helpful to diffuse the wide range of exploding emotions? Hypothetically, the person may burst, in order to have an outlet, in this case the outlet coming in the form of a bomb with a big ‘BOOM’. When this happens, our tolerance level is taking a break and just chilling.

There are two sides to a story (some even say three). I would like to discuss tolerance in that light, having the binary elements .There are ongoing debates about tolerance- how to apply it,and how to restrict it. Both are needed for the progress of the society.There is a zero-tolerance policy on so many issues in our society which ensure the smooth running of the society,and it should best be kept that way.However, we might just want to practice being more tolerant.We meet so many intolerant people, with an air of self importance, walking down the street, perhaps in your locality, church, bank, etc., making complete fools of themselves. They are being intolerant and pushy because they could not have their way and do

not have patience to be civilised.

In such situations, we form a mental picture of how conflict could have been avoided by just being calm, tactful, and most important of them all,by reacting tolerantly. The tag ‘complete fool’ would then easily find its way into the garbage can.The person will get the crowning glory, and join the bandwagon of the tolerants.

The whole scenario is like the right to vote, whereby the person either votes for, or against a candidate.Both the votes are equally important and helpful in shaping public opinion.This is exactly how tolerance works.It has a kind of duality attached to it.

The whole question of a person being tolerant in our Naga context is related to ‘Sorom’ (the English equivalent being ‘shame’). The ‘Sorom factor’ has a very high appeal and makes it very glamorous. “Soromase” and “Soromkhai” are some of the most frequently uttered phrases among the Nagas. Is it because our ego is very fragile or just bloated up?

We don’t want to point fingers at something which is going wrong. We are blind by choice and perhaps wearing a shade which is so dark that it is blocking our view. Or, are we just selectively blind? We see only what we want to see.

Lack of curiosity, questions, and the tag of being branded as ‘oversmart’ are perhaps some of the reasonswhy we are ignorant on so many issues surround-

ing us. In the name of being ‘tolerant’ we turn a blind eye to the many evils in our state. Here is one quote which explains the scenario- “The problem is not people being uneducated. The problem is that they are educated just enough to believe what they have been taught and not educated enough to question what they have been taught.”

Tolerance when put in a positive way can do a lot of good. Examining various episodes in history, we see that tolerance would have perhaps saved so many lives. Thousands were displaced, killed, and raped during the India-Pakistan Partition. Trains filled with dead bodies would enter both countries.

Had people shown tolerance, precious lives would not have been lost in this gruesome manner.

We Nagas are tolerant when it comes to major issuesthat need to be addressed. Talk about our roads, our electricity, LPG shortage, or truant government employees. We tend to switch on the mute button and ignore all of these.

“Olop adjust kuridiwo”. This attitude helps corruption flourish!On the other hand, we are very intolerant of so many minor issues. For example, we are intolerant of people who seem to have a different opinion from us. 4+5=9, 6+3=9, the answer is the same. But we question or critique the method. The person is crucified on account of differences of opinion and there is the endless ‘war of

words’! Where’s democracy?

Parallel thinking, when it comes to tolerance, is crucial.We can’t think ‘good’ thoughts all the time and be tolerant of the evils around us, nor can we keep barking at everyone and be intolerant of everything that goes against our expectation. There should be a balance. ’Sorom’ should not be the reason for us to be painfully tolerant. I think tolerance should be like ‘a breath of fresh air', whereby we are inhaling the clean oxygen and exhaling toxic elements.

Aristotle has used two words in relation to character, which I would like to apply in this context: ethos and dianoia, the former indicating the moral disposition in character,while the latter means the intellectual element which determines all rational conduct through which the ethos seeks an external expression. Are we willing to let ethos and dianoia work together in perfect order to achieve the desired goal?

Lastly, tolerance has some final words to say –“I function perfectly well! Use me or abuse me, that is in your hand”.

Degree of Thought is a weekly community column initiated by Tetso College in partnership with The Morung Express. Degree of Thought will delve into the social, cultural, political and educational issues around us. The views expressed here do not reflect the opinion of the institution. Tetso College is a NAAC Accredited UGC recognised Commerce and Arts College. The editors are Dr. Hewasa Lorin, Anjan Behera, Dr. Salikyu Sangtam, Nivibo Yiki, and Kvulo Lorin. For feedback or comments please email: dot@tetsocollege.org.

Readers may please note that, the contents of the articles published on this page do not reflect the outlook of this paper nor of the Editor in any form.

8

wednesdAY 29•03•2017

INDIA

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Budgam encounter One militant, three civilians killed; CM Mehbooba urges restraint, Omar calls situation ‘alarming’

Security forces take position near the encounter site at Chadoora in J-K’s Budgam district. (HT Photo )

Srinagar, March 28 (PTi): Three civilians were killed and 17 others injured on Tuesday during an encounter between security forces and militants in Chadoora area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district.

The civilians died during clashes with security personnel at the site of the encounter. A militant was also killed in the firing and is yet to identified.

Earlier today, Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Durbugh area of Chadoora in the wee hours follow-

ing information about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said.

He said the search operation turned into a gunbattle after militants opened fire on security forces. As the security forces were engaged in the exchange of firing with holed-up militants, a large number of protesters started pelting stones at the law enforcing agencies, the official said.

He said one person was hit by a bullet in the neck and rushed to a hospital.

He succumbed to injuries on way to the hospital. Four

Anti-tribal bills JAC continues public consultation Newmai News Network Imphal | March 28

After the new Manipur government under the initiative of Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh invited the Joint Action Committee JAC Against AntiTribal Bills (JAC-AATB) to a meeting, the Joint Action Committee continued its series of consultations with various sections of the tribal society.

On Tuesday, the JAC held a public consultation meeting at the Young Paite Association General Headquarters Hall, Hiangtam Lamka, Churachandpur district.

The ideas and suggestions collected through a series of consultations with different sections of the tribal society like the one held today shall be compiled and examined by the JAC, based on which the JAC shall prepare a charter of demands to be presented to the Government of Manipur, a resolution adopted in the meeting said. The public noted their appreciation for the JAC in their unflinching fight for tribal self-determination in the 575-day old tribal movement and reaffirmed their support and endorsement of the JAC to lead the public till a solution is achieved.

On March 24, the JAC Against Anti-Tribal Bills said they were not in a position to attend a meeting arranged by the Manipur Chief Minister over the current agitation in the hills, saying they were in the process of holding a series of consultations with various sections of tribal society. The JAC had said it deeply appreciated the interest shown by the new Manipur government headed by Nongthongbam Biren Singh to bring about an amicable solution to the nearly 600-day old agitation in the hills for tribal self-determination by inviting the JAC for a meeting with the Chief Minister on March 25.

The JAC had said that they were already in the process of conducting a series of consultations with various sections of the tribal society regarding the new government’s indication of commitment to solve the imbroglio, hence the JAC will not be in a position to attend the meeting as they are still in the process of consulting various tribal bodies and individuals. The JAC had also said they were committed to wrapping up the series of consultations to arrive at a consensus at the earliest and that they would inform the state government once they are done so that they can proceed with the meeting to bring about a cordial solution to the current impasse.

Senior Assam official arrested, gold seized in Rajdhani Express Dhruva Saikia Guwahati | March 28

The present BJP government in Assam, in its bid to curb widespread corruption plaguing the administration, today nabbed a senior official in the Assam secretariat on charges of bribery.

The Anti-Corruption and Vigilance wing of the Assam Police on Tuesday arrested Irrigation department Secretary Pujendra Doley from his Dispur office premises who had allegedly sought bribe to clear ceiling to state government employees. Adding to this, the official had allegedly kept around 300 files in his custody and charged a hefty sum to clear them.

The Sonowal led BJP government in Assam caught the people’s imagination when the APSC chairman Rakesh Paul and his accomplices were put behind bars on charges of creating a market for Assam civil service jobs that had flourished for decades. BJP leader and renowned lawyer Bijon Mahajan has been entrusted with the task of public prosecutor to steer the legal battle against Paul, who has filed a bail petition before Supreme Court of India with Congress leader and advocate Kapil Sibal as legal adviser.

Meanwhile, Guwahati Railway Police on Tuesday, acting on a tip-off, seized 4.5 kilogram gold smuggled via the Rajdhani Express from Rajasthan. The market price of the seized gold amounts to Rs 1.35 crore.

Two persons identified as Ashok Sharma and Bhagirath were arrested by the police.

others suffered injuries as security forces fired pellet guns and tear smoke shells in a bid to disperse the protesters, the official said.

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed anguish over the death of three civilians and urged restraint from all sides saying issues confronting the state cannot be resolved if violence becomes the norm.

In a statement released by the official spokesman, Mehbooba expressed deep anguish and grief over the death of three youths at Chadoora. “It is highly

painful to see the young boys losing their lives,” the chief minister said.

She termed the killings as highly unfortunate and said the people in Kashmir continue to suffer massive collateral damage due to violence of past three decades or so.

Expressing grief over the killing of three youths in security forces firing, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah blamed the centre and state government for the “alarming situation” and advocated talks with all stakeholders.

“By choosing to turn a blind eye towards the unprecedented level of alienation and perpetual uncertainty in Kashmir both the Central Government of Narendra Modi and the State Government of Mehbooba Mufti have compounded the situation in the Valley and pushed the youth into a corner,” Abdullah said in a statement here.

He said the political issue in Kashmir cannot be resolved through rhetoric, operational measures or development.

“There is no alternative to talks. You have to talk to the people of Kashmir and the stakeholders of all shades of opinion with an honest intent to resolve the political issue,” Abdullah said.

A policeman charging Aanganwadi workers (mostly women) who were holding a protest to press for their various demands in Patna.

Only seven per cent women in police forces: Govt

There are about seven per cent women in police forces in the country and the states and union territories have been asked to increase their numbers by up to 33 per cent, the government today said.

new Delhi, March 28 (agencieS):There are about seven per cent women in police forces in the country and the states and union territories have been asked to increase their numbers by up to 33 per cent, the government today said. “As on January 1, 2016, the representation of women police personnel is 7.10 per cent at all In-

dia level,” Minister of State for Home Hansraj G Ahir said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.

He said the Union Home Ministry has also issued advisories in 2009 and 2012 to “all the state governments and Union Territories administrations to increase the strength of women police personnel up to 33 per cent of the total strength”. All the state governments have been requested to create additional posts of women constables and sub-Inspectors by converting the vacant posts of men constables into the posts of women constables, Ahir added.

The minister said his ministry in collaboration with the Ministry

of Women and Child Development (WCD) has envisaged engagement of Mahila Police Volunteers (MPV) in states and UTs who will act as a link between police and community and help women in distress.

“The MPV will encourage women to come forward with complaints of violence and discrimination, provide information to them on remedies for this and assist them in taking their cases to police authorities.

“Haryana has become the first state to operationalise the MPV scheme. It was launched jointly by the Ministry of WCD and Government of Haryana at Karnal on December 14, 2016 for the districts of Karnal and Mahendragarh,” he said

Six taken ill after 'stale' dinner on Rajdhani, passengers protest

KolKaTa, March 28 (ianS): Six passengers travelling on the New Delhi-Sealdah Rajdhani Express were taken ill after eating "stale food" served on the airconditioned train, leading to protests by passengers at two stations on Tuesday.

Union Minister and Asansol MP Babul Supriyo said he also found the food and service quality on Rajdhani "utterly disappointing" at times.

A section of the passengers protested at the Asansol and Sealdah terminus against the "poor quality of food and equally poor service" on the iconic train.

According to the agitating

passengers, nearly half a dozen commuters travelling in the B8 and B9 coaches of the train allegedly fell ill after eating "stale food" served for dinner.

"The food quality in the train is poor and the timing of serving the food is equally bad. When the passengers spend such a substantial amount for travelling in a train, they expect better quality and service but that is often not available here. At least six passengers from our train fell ill yesterday (Monday) after eating dinner," complained a female passenger.

Some agitators alleged that the railways spends less than half

of what they charge for the onboard meal.

The Eastern Railway authorities admitted they had received the complaint and said appropriate action would be taken after a probe. But they termed it an "isolated" incident.

"This is a one off incident. The train was carrying around 1,200 passengers. Of them 5-6 passengers from a specific coach have complained about the food quality. We are investigating the matter. Appropriate action would be taken," an Eastern Railways spokesman said.

A senior railway officer at Sealdah station said they have

noted down the address of passengers who fell ill. He assured action would be taken against those responsible.

"We have noted down the address of the passengers who fell ill yesterday. We assure everybody that we will take necessary action against the defaulters and send the feedback to the affected passengers," he said.

Supriyo said he would take up the matter with Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu and also run a check on the train's food quality himself if necessary.

"Today (Tuesday) I would attend a council of ministers' meeting at the Prime Minister's house

Indian cities may face deadly heatwaves due to global warming

lonDon, March 28 (PTi): Global megacities like Kolkata could face annual deadly heat waves like the one that claimed over 2,000 lives in India in 2015, even if global warming is halted at the levels struck under the Paris deal, scientists have warned.

Nations supporting the 2015 Paris Agreement have pledged to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

However, extreme heat events are expected to occur ever more often as the two degree Celsius limit is approached, researchers said. An analysis of 44 of the 101 most populous “megacities” showed that the number of cities experiencing heat stress doubled with 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming, researchers said.

The trend would potentially expose more than 350 million additional people to heat stress by 2050, if population contin-

(Reuters File Photo)

ues to grow as expected, researchers said.

“As the climate warms, the number and intensity of heat waves increases,” said Tom Matthews, a climatologist at Liverpool John Moores University in the UK. “Research has shown this to be the case for the global warming experienced to date, and our research is the latest to show

that we can expect even larger increases as the climate continues to warm,” Matthews was quoted as saying by ‘Health Day’.

Even if global warming is halted at Paris goals, the megacities of Karachi in Pakistan and Kolkata in India could face annual conditions similar to the deadly heat waves that gripped those regions in 2015, researchers said.

During the 2015 heat waves in those areas, about 1,200 people died in Pakistan and more than 2,000 died in India. These heat waves are particularly threatening to large cities containing lots of heat-absorbing asphalt and concrete, not to mention huge populations, said Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association.

where I would discuss the matter with Suresh Prabhu. I might as well come to Asansol any day to inspect the situation myself. It's true that the quality of the food in Rajdhani is very bad sometimes. I thank the passengers for their protest. Their agitation has made my case stronger," the BJP leader said. "It is a valid agitation by the passengers. It's coincidental that I travelled from Delhi to Asansol in the Rajdhani express just a couple of days back and was utterly disappointed with the service. This a question of morality of the food vendors who are given the contract by the railway authority," he added.

Minimum balance penalty by banks must be reasonable: Govt

new Delhi, March 28 (ianS): The charges levied by banks in case minimum balance is not maintained in accounts must be reasonable, and should be a fixed percentage on the difference between the actual and required balance, the government said on Tuesday.

"Banks should ensure such penal charges are reasonable and not out of line with the average cost of providing the services," Minister of State for Finance Santosh Kumar Gangwar said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

"In case a customer fails to ensure minimum balance within a month, the banks can levy penal charges, which should be a fixed percentage levied on the difference between the actual balance maintained and the minimum balance agreed upon at the time of opening of the account," he said. The Minister said that in the event of default on agreed minimum balance/average minimum balance, the bank should notify the customer clearly through SMS, email or letter that in case the minimum balance is not restored within a month from the date of notice, penal charges will be applicable. If the customer maintains the minimum balance within one month, no penal charges should be levied, he added.

Scheduled commercial banks (excluding regional rural banks) have the freedom to fix service charges on various services rendered by them, as per their boardapproved policy subject to general instructions on levy of service charges by banks contained in the Reserve Bank of India's Master Circular. The RBI has said that banks have been advised that when opening an account, they should inform customers in a transparent manner regarding the requirement of maintaining a minimum balance and levy of charges in case of default. The banks should also inform, at least one month in advance, the existing account holders any change in the prescribed minimum balance limit and the charges that may be levied in case of default.

India condemns 'deplorable' attack on Nigerians, five arrested

noiDa, March 28 (ianS): India on Tuesday condemned an alleged racial attack on Nigerian students who were brutally beaten up in Greater Noida by mobs targeting African nationals blaming them for drug running following the death of a teen due to suspected drug overdose.

Apprehending a diplomatic row over the attack near the national capital, the External Affairs Ministry assured of an impartial probe and said India was committed to the safety of foreigners in the country.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said she had spoken

to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Aditya Nath Yogi, and he had assured her of a "fair and impartial investigation into this unfortunate incident".

According to police in Greater Noida, some 40 km from Delhi, late on Monday night four Nigerian students were attacked by crowds near Pari Chowk while two more were beaten by a mob inside a shopping mall. The attacks took place after protests over the death of Manish Khatri, a Class 12 student in Greater Noida's NSG Society, Superintendent of Police Sujata Singh told IANS. Khatri is said to have died

of cardiac arrest due to suspected drug overdose on Saturday.

Singh said three FIRs had been registered. Five suspects were arrested and over 1,000 unknown people have been booked, police officer Avinish Dixit in Greater Noida told IANS. Dixit said police had received a complaint from an association of Nigerian residents in Greater Noida. Atul Saxena, store manager at Levi's outlet in Ansal Plaza where one of the attacks occurred, said two Nigerians shopping in the mall rushed into the store, closed the door and pleaded with him to save them from the mob.

"After them, some 100 or 150

people forced open the door and barged in. They beat one of the Nigerians and dragged him out.

The other had hid himself in a trial room. He too was dragged out and beaten up," Saxena told IANS. The store manager said the Nigerians were beaten up by leather belts available in the store. "Some among the mob ransacked the shop and lifted goods too." The two assaulted Nigerians -- Endurance Amarawa, 21, and Precious Amalcima, 24 -- were taken to a hospital with facial injuries and minor fractures but doctors have ruled them out of danger. "We were shopping in Ansal Plaza on Monday evening

when suddenly a mob attacked us viciously. We tried to enter a showroom to save ourselves," Precious Amalcima, who is doing political science from Noida International University (NIU), told reporters at the hospital.

Endurance is a first year BALLB student at the university. A video shared online by the Association of African Students in India shows a mob beating, kicking and punching an African man repeatedly inside the mall. Some among the mob carried sticks, stools and trash cans to beat the man in the video which couldn't be verified independently.

WednesdAY 29•03•2017

Japan seeks answers in avalanche deaths of 7 students and a teacher

TOKYO, March 28 (reuTers): Investigators pored over a Japanese mountain on Tuesday after a massive avalanche tore through a group of high school students and teachers, killing eight, amid questions about why avalanche warnings were ignored and whether they had proper equipment.

The avalanche in central Japan on Monday, which struck along some 50 metres (150 ft) of a steep slope just above a ski area, killed seven students and an instructor who were part of a 48-person group taking part in winter climbing training.

Thirty-eight people were injured, two of them critically.

Survivors told Japanese media they were training in a wooded area in Nasu, a town in Tochigi prefecture 160 km (100 miles) north of Tokyo, when suddenly there were shouts of “Avalanche, get out of here!” and voices yelling to take cover.

“A second later the snow was there and I was buried up to my chest,” said one 16-year-old student. “My face was free, so I managed to get myself out. It was scary.”

The students who died, all

Firefighters and rescue workers using a drone investigate at the site of an avalanche in Nasu town, north of Tokyo, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo on March 28. (REUTERS Photo)

aged 16 and 17, were from a local high school known for its prowess in competitive mountain climbing and were at the front of the group when the avalanche struck on the final day of a threeday training camp. An avalanche warning was in place at the time.

The father of Kosuke Sato,

16, one of those who died, displayed the torn windbreaker his son had worn.

“I still can’t believe it,” he told TBS television, choking back tears.

The group changed their original plan to climb a nearby mountain due to heavy snow and strong

winds, switching instead to practicing walking in deep snow on a steep slope, media said.

“Spring is much more dangerous in terms of avalanches than winter,” mountaineer Ken Noguchi, himself the survivor of several avalanches, said on TV Asahi.

Others blamed temperature

fluctuations and deep, fresh snowfall on top of older snow.

“After that heavy a snow fall, of course it was highly likely you’d get caught in an avalanche if you went out,” rescuer Itsuro Watabe told TBS. A Tochigi prefectural police spokesman said investigations, which included the use of drones, were focused on whether or not there had been errors of judgment, in particular by the Tochigi High School Athletics Federation, which sponsored the training.

He declined to give further details but said investigators were also looking into whether the students had proper safety equipment, including beacons that can help locate those swept up in avalanches.

Atsuhito Masuguchi, head of the Tochigi High School Athletics Federation, said the training had been held for decades.

“It’s conducted by our mountain specialists, and we relied on their judgment of conditions and actually carrying out the training.

They’re the experts,” he added.

“We’ve done this for over 50 years. This was the first accident.”

Twelve new genes causing China able to deploy warplanes ovarian cancer identified on artificial islands ‘at any time’ LOndOn, March 28 (Ians): A dozen new genetic variants that have the potential to increase the risk of women developing ovarian cancer have been identified by a team of international scientists, in a study of nearly 100,000 people.

“We know that a woman’s genetic make-up accounts for about one-third of her risk of developing ovarian cancer. This is the inherited component of disease risk,” said Paul Pharoah, Professor at the University of Cambridge in Britain.

Inherited faults in genes such as the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations -also known to increase the

risk of breast cancer -- account for about 40 per cent of the genetic risk.

For the study, published in the journal Nature Genetics, the team conducted a genetic trawl through the DNA of almost 100,000 people, including 17,000 patients with the most common type of ovarian cancer.

The findings revealed 12 new genetic variants, while confirming the association of 18 of the previously published variants.

In total, there are now known to be 30 risk variants, accounting for 6.5 per cent of the inherited component of risk, in addition to the BRCA1 or BRCA2

genes, the researchers said.

“We really have little idea of the functional effect these variants have at the molecular or cellular level and so there are few clues as to how they might affect risk. If we can understand how they work, we will be in a better position to treat, and possibly prevent ovarian cancer,” noted Simon Gayther from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, US. Factors such as taking the oral contraceptive pill, undergoing invasive surgery to remove ovaries and fallopian tubes as well as having children may help reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, the researchers said.

Kim Jong Nam’s body still in Malaysia

WashInGTOn, March 28 (reuTers): China appears to have largely completed major construction of military infrastructure on artificial islands it has built in the South China Sea and can now deploy combat planes and other military hardware there at any time, a U.S. think tank said on Monday.

The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), part of Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the work on Fiery Cross, Subi and Mischief Reefs in the Spratly Islands included naval, air, radar and defensive facilities.

The think tank cited satellite images taken this month, which its director, Greg Poling, said showed new radar antennae on Fiery Cross and Subi.

“So look for deployments in the near future,” he said.

China has denied U.S. charges that it is militarizing the South China Sea, although last week Premier Li Keqiang said defense equipment had been placed on islands in the disputed waterway to maintain “freedom of navigation.”

China’s Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Tuesday she was unaware of the details of the think tank’s report, but added the Spratly Islands were China’s inherent territory.

“As for China deploying or not deploying necessary territorial defensive facilities on its own territory, this is a matter that is within the scope of Chinese sovereignty,” she told a daily news briefing.

A Pentagon spokesman, Commander Gary Ross, declined to comment on the specifics of the AMTI report, saying it was not the Defense Department’s practice to comment on intelligence.

But he said that “China’s continued construction in the South China Sea is part of a growing body of evidence that they continue to take unilateral actions which are increasing tensions in the region and

are counterproductive to the peaceful resolution of disputes.”

AMTI said China’s three air bases in the Spratlys and another on Woody Island in the Paracel chain further north would allow its military aircraft to operate over nearly the entire South China Sea, a key global trade route that Beijing claims most of.

Several neighboring states have competing claims in the sea, which is widely seen as a potential regional flashpoint.

The think tank said advanced surveillance and early-warning radar facilities at Fiery Cross, Subi and Cuarteron Reefs, as well as Woody Island, and smaller facilities elsewhere gave it similar radar coverage.

It said China had installed HQ-9 surface-to-air missiles at Woody Island more than a year ago and had deployed antiship cruise missiles there on at least one occasion.

It had also constructed hardened shelters with retractable roofs for mobile missile launchers at Fiery Cross, Subi and Mischief and enough hangars at Fiery Cross for 24 combat aircraft and three larger planes, including bombers.

U.S. officials told Reuters last month that China had finished building almost two dozen structures on Subi, Mischief and Fiery Cross that appeared designed to house long-range surface-to-air missiles.

In his Senate confirmation hearing in January, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson angered China by saying it should be denied access to islands it had built up in the South China Sea. Tillerson subsequently softened his language, saying that in the event of an unspecified “contingency,” the United States and its allies “must be capable of limiting China’s access to and use of” those islands to pose a threat.

In recent years, the United States has conducted a series of what it calls freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea, raising tensions with Beijing.

High-fiber diet may check onset of diabetes sYdneY, March 28 (Ians): A diet rich in high-fiber foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains -- encourage the production of short-chain fatty acids that are beneficial for the immune system and may help protect against the onset of Type 1 diabetes, a study shows.

The findings showed that the western diet, which lacks dietary fibre affects human gut microbiota and the production of short-chain fatty acids acetate or butyrate.

The specialised diet uses starches -- found in many foods including fruit and vegetables -- that resist digestion and pass through to the colon or large bowel where they are broken down by microbiota (gut bacteria).

This process of fermentation produces acetate and butyrate which, when combined, provided complete protection against Type 1 diabetes, the researchers said.

“Our research found that eating a diet which encourages the gut bacteria that produce high levels of acetate or butyrate improves the integrity of the gut lining, which reduces pro-inflammatory factors and promote immune tolerance,” said Eliana Marino researcher at Monash University in Australia.

“We found this had an enormous impact on the development of Type 1 diabetes,” Marino added.

The study, published in the journal Nature Immunology, highlighted how non-pharmaceutical approaches including special diets and gut bacteria could treat or prevent autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes.

“The materials we used are something you can digest that is comprised of natural products - resistant starches are a normal part of our diet. The diets we used are highly efficient at releasing beneficial metabolites. I would describe them as an extreme superfood,” explained Charles Mackay, Professor at Monash University.

However, the diet was not just about eating vegetables or high-fibre foods but involved special food and a special process and would need to be managed by nutritionists, dietitians and clinicians, Mackay noted.

AFFIDAVIT

Regd. No. 64 I, Smti.

Anyienuo D/o Kiengeulung of Heningkunglwa village, PO & PS Jalukie, Peren Dist.

Nagaland hereby declare that the name Anyienuo and Anyienuo Liegise is of same person. I hereby declare that my correct name is Anyienuo and shall be used for all official purposes in the future.

Deponent 1st Class Magistrate

Kim Jong Nam arrives at Beijing airport in Beijing. (REUTERS File Photo)

concerned there is no change in status quo,” Subramaniam told reporters.

Subramaniam said the ministry cannot do anything with the body until they are given instructions by “those responsible for the body.” “But the next of kin have not come forward to provide assistance on how the body is to be treated,” he said.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she had noted the reports about talks between Malaysia and North Korea, but did not know any details.

“We hope that the relevant parties can appropriately resolve the issue via dialogue and consultation,” she told a daily news briefing.

Subramaniam said the negotiations were being held by the ministry of foreign affairs and the Prime Minister’s department, but the government has otherwise declined to comment.

Kim Jong Nam was murdered on Feb. 13, when Malaysian police say two women smeared super toxic VX nerve agent on his face at the budget terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Kim’s body has since been at a morgue in Kuala Lumpur, with Malaysia saying it will only hand it over to the next-of-kin.

U.S. and South Korean officials say the North Korean regime was behind the murder of Kim Jong Nam, who had been living in exile in Macau and had criticised his family’s dynastic rule of North Korea in the past.

Two women, an Indonesian and a Vietnamese, were charged for the murder. Both have claimed they were unwitting pawns in an assassination that U.S. officials and South Korean intelligence have said was organised by North Korean agents.

SUMI HOHO Oking: Zunheboto

KUKUSSU Sumi Hoho Hiyam Mipemiqo eno Mijettomiqo asuchedo 2014 – 2017 dolo mulah ighikemiqo ado tove noh Sumi Baghi lau akumlah yehpithi nike eno akithemiqo kishessu venike ghenguno “Sumi Baghi Hoho” Asuzani, Ghixuqhi 11, 2017 (Tuesday, April 11, 2017), ayi 10:00 inaqhe, Town Hall, Zunheboto lo shussu ani.

Tighenguno kukami, Village Council Chairman, VDB Secretary, Pastor, kijemi, sakiphemi, lhothemi eno sumi alokumsumi kumtssu pelo ighi noh ahoho hipau lo ssutsu penike kussu ani.

AKUPUGHU KIKITHI  Alakhukippeu: Ino Khehoshe Yepthomi, Alakhumipeu Kukuphuu  Yekikithiu: Ino Vihoto Shohe, Akiyyeu & Ino Kakuto Chishi, Akiyyeu  Baibel kiphi & akighini: Dr. Daniel Chishi, Senior Pastor, Zunheboto Town Sumi Baptist Church  Alakhumipeu tsapi: Ino Toniho Yepthomi  Alokivi tsah: Ino Zheshito Swu, Alakhumipeu, Western Sumi Hoho (Thupishe 7)  Shikumto tsah: Ino K.L. Chishi, Former Chief Minister, Nagaland (Thupishe 15)  Alokivi tsah: (1) Ino Kaito Aye, Minister, Nagaland (Thupishe 10) (2) Ino Vikheho Swu, Minister, Nagaland (Thupishe 10)  Aleh kiphe: Ino Aron Asumi & akusamiqo  Akiyyettou yehkipithi: Ino Vihuto Asumi  Chapili Kiyyeu Yehkipithi: Ino Ghokhevi Chophi  Shikimithi tsah: Ino Hekhushe Shikhu, Akiyyeu  Phukuju Mqo: Ghakuttou (Convenor)  Kukumugha & anguagha kibe kighini: Rev. Yevito Sumi, Senior Pastor, Sumi Baptist Church Zunheboto AKISHINA Sd/Sd/(TONIHO YEPTHOMI) (VIHUTO ASUMI) Alakhumipeu Akiyyettou

AFFIDAVIT

Regd. No. 65 I, Shri. Adio S/o Kiengeulung of Heningkunglwa Village, Jalukie, Peren Dist. Nagaland hereby declared that the name Adio and Adio Liegise is of same person. I hereby declare that my correct name is Adio and shall be used for all official purposes in the future.

Deponent 1st Class Magistrate

AFFIDAVIT Regd.No: 314

I, Smt. Shevili Kinimi W/o Shinito Sumi permanent resident of Aichisaghemi Village, Zunheboto, Nagaland do hereby solemnly affirm and declare an oath as under:1. That I am a bonafide citizen of India.

2. That my name is erroneously entered/recorded as Shevili Kinimi in my service book, N. Shevili Kinny in Govt. Id and Shevili Sumi in PAN Card No. FMRPS0008C. 3. That the above mentioned name & title belongs to one and same person henceforth declare to apply and consider legally right and genuine for all official purpose.

4. Henceforth I shall use my name as Shevili Kinimi in all official purposes and future correspondence.

Solemnly sworn before me by the deponent.

Deponent

Notary Public, Nagaland

AFFIDAVIT

Regd.No: 315 I, Smt. N. Khusheli Sema W/o Atok permanent resident of Aichisaghemi Village, Zunheboto, Nagaland do hereby solemnly affirm and declare an oath as under:1. That I am a bonafide citizen of India.

2. That my name is erroneously entered/recorded as N. Khusheli Sema in my service book, Khusheli Sema in Govt. Id and Khusheli Sema in PAN Card No. FJBPS2746N. 3. That the above mentioned name & title belongs to one and same person henceforth declare to apply and consider legally right and genuine for all official purpose.

4. Henceforth I shall use my name as N. Khusheli Sema in all official purposes and future correspondence.

Deponent Solemnly sworn before me by the deponent.

Notary Public, Nagaland

SUCCESSION

NO.JUD.21/2016-17/26

KuaLa LuMPur, March 28 (reuTers): The body of Kim Jong Nam, who was murdered in Malaysia last month, is still in Kuala Lumpur, health minister Health Minister Subramaniam Sathasivam said on Tuesday, amid reports the remains of the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will soon leave the country.

What Malaysia eventually does with the body, and how far it pursues three North Koreans wanted for questioning, and believed to be hiding in the North Korean embassy, are central to negotiations to resolve a diplomatic row between the two formerly friendly governments, sources aware of the talks have told Reuters.

Malaysia is trying to secure the release of nine nationals who have been stranded in Pyongyang after North Korea, angered by the suspicion cast by the police investigation, imposed a travel ban on Malaysians leaving its borders.

In response, Malaysia imposed a titfor-tat travel ban, and called on North Korea to immediately release all its citizens.

There was speculation that some deal had been worked out on Monday, sparking media reports that the body was moved out of the hospital to a funeral parlour, and later was being prepared to be taken on a flight to Beijing.

Malaysia’s New Straits Times newspaper reported on Tuesday that the body was expected to go from Beijing to North Korea, without disclosing its source for the information. But the health minister said the situation was unchanged.

“We have to check with the forensics department if there was any requirement to bring the body out, but as far as we are

9

WORLD

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Dtd. Zbto. the 23/03/2017

Smti. Tonili Sema of North Point Colony, Zunheboto has applied for the issue of Succession Certificate declaring that her Husband Late Hetozu has expired on 13/01/2017.

It is hereby notified that if no objection to issue this certificate is received from anyone within a period of 30 (thirty) days w.e.f the date of publication in press, the Certificate shall be issued, and no further complaint will be entertained for issue of the same.

Deputy Commissioner, Zunheboto: Nagaland

GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND

OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER DIMAPUR: NAGALAND

PUBLIC NOTICE

Dated: Dimapur, the 23rd March’2017

No.GEN-2/VR/2017-D/4338-40 / Consequent upon receipt of an application for the recognition of Thsathrichem Village under Dhansiripar SubDivision of Dimapur District and on completion of all formalities for the recognition of the concerned Village, notice is hereby given to all the general public of the area for claims/objections if any, within 30 days from the date of publication of this notice.

No complaint/objection will be entertained after the stipulated time under any circumstances.

The proposed boundaries of the colony is as under: North – Lhothavi Village South – J. Sangtam Village East – Lhothavi Village West – A.K. Industrial Village Sd/- (Kesonyu Yhome), IAS Deputy Commissioner, Dimapur: Nagaland

10

WednesdAY 29•03•2017

NagalaNd

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

dipr on release of government advertisements State TB Officer DHFW Our Correspondent Kohima | March 28

With the introduction of the state government’s policy on single window release of government advertisements, the Directorate of Information & Public Relations (DIPR) channelizes the release of government advertisements to the newspapers.

This was stated in the annual administrative report 201617 of the DIPR department tabled at the ongoing 15th session

of 12th NLA here.

Through this system, the report stated that the government is able to streamline the expenses on advertisements, while at the same time ensure equitable treatment to all registered newspapers and timely payment of advertisement bills to all newspapers.

“This system has also reduced the burden on the newspapers to independently pursue payment of their bills from different departments,” the report stated.

C e nt ra l l y Sp o n s o re d Schemes and programmes with own IEC components, however, are not covered under this programme.

During the period April 2016 to February 2017, altogether 738 government advertisements were issued by the department including special advertorial features on Nagaland in various national magazines.

Under new Advertisement Policy and Rules 2015, all government advertisements will be routed through the Director,

‘Social workers are AIDS sentry of Nagaland’ ARK Foundation proposes to initiate 'Governor’s Award for outstanding contribution in the field of HIV/AIDS prevention and control' Kohima, march 28 (mExN): The ARK Foundation, Kohima today made a proposal to the Governor of Nagaland to initiate Governor’s Award during the Republic Day celebration titled as “Award for Outstanding contribution in the field of HIV/AIDS prevention and control”.

ARK Foundation, president, Ketho Angami in a press statement said that such a prestigious award given to NGO sector working in HIV/AIDS will speak volume of the government applauding the contribution of the workers.

Highlighting the need to recognize the contribution and work of individuals and NGOs related to HIV/AIDS, ARK Foundation said that Nagaland, of the latest 201415 HIV Sentinel Surveillance (HSS) continue to remain the highest in the country with a prevalence rate of 1.29% compared to that of the national average which is just 0.29%, while the adult prevalence rate in Nagaland stood at 0.73%. It is indeed a success story to mention about the drastic decline of HIV/ AIDS prevalence amongst the Injecting drug users with an earlier reported rate of 39% to 2.26% (HSS 2014-15), the foundation informed.

ARK Foundation stated that over the years, it has come across

Information & Public Relations, and Government of Nagaland.

It will act as nodal agency on behalf of the government to release advertisements to different newspapers and periodical.

The rate fixed by the DIPR from time to time, will be applicable to all newspapers and periodicals within the state. The newspaper and periodicals published outside the state may have their own rates of advertisements, but government will make use of such papers and periodicals whose rates are acceptable, keeping in

view of publicity requirements.

It also stated that all advertisement routed through DIPR shall be paid by the DIPR. Press release/spokesperson, all government official press release including cabinet decisions, government notifications and government policies/rules shall be released through IPR. The secretary/director DIPR shall be the official spokesperson to the government. “Political statements/releases shall not involve IPR department,” the report added.

Condolence messages

Chief Minister Nagaland Chief Minister Dr Shürhozelie Liezietsu expressed grief at demise of Hepong Phom and termed the Interim Body, which late Hepong was a member of, a “quasi-legislature which midwifed Nagaland” and recalled, “Hepong braved all threats and intimidations and stepped forward to boldly shoulder the responsibilities that would see the formation of the state of Nagaland.” Contending on circumstances prevailing in 1961-63, Dr Liezietsu recollected that the 45-member Interim Body representing their respective tribes and regions had to forego the comforts of their family. “Theirs was the collective determination to protect the distinct identity, and theirs was the dream to take the Naga people forward,” the Chief Minister’s message read. “Hepong did not waver at any point of time and he served the Naga people as best as he could,” he stated, adding that the present-day Nagas should acknowledge the contributions and sacrifices of the pioneers of Nagaland statehood – the likes of late Hepong. On behalf of the people and the government of Nagaland, the CM extended condolences to the bereaved family.

many genuine social workers who have sacrificed their entire life working for the cause of HIV/ AIDS in the state and through the NACO’s National AIDS Control Programs initiation; the HIV/AIDS has generated more than a thousand of employees (including the NGO Peer Educators) who works even on Holidays. “These workers can be considered as the AIDS sentry of the state trying to ensure that the state’s HIV/AIDS scenario can be addressed. However, these unsung heroes continue to work with their sheer commitment as their driving force and without the state Government acknowledging their massive contribution,” the ARK Foundation added.

It also added that there is still a great need to continue responding to prevention the epidemic and therefore, ARK Foundation opined that such an award will really boost the confidence, enthusiasm and commitment of the field workers and will go a long way in “Getting to Zero - AIDS related deaths, discrimination, new infections”.

“If required, we will be available for further deliberation at your time availability and convenient. We can be reached at Speaker 9436400666,” ARK Foundation NLA Speaker Dr. Imticonveyed to the Governor. wapang Aier has expressed

shock to hear of the demise of Hepong Phom. Late Hepong was elected as Member of Interim Body from Tuensang Assembly Constituency in 1961. “His death has caused a great loss to the Nagas in general and the Phom Community in particular and the void created by him will be difficult to fill,” the NLA Speaker stated. Dr. Aier conveyed condolences and prayed that God grant solace, courage and comfort to the bereaved family.

Neiphiu Rio Nagaland Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio has expressed “deep pain” to hear of the demise of former MLA Wokshing Phom. In a condolence message, Rio stated that late Wokshing was a committed and sincere leader, who always cared for the welfare of people especially weaker sections. “He gave his best years to public service and remained committed towards peace and progress. He had made positive contributions to our society and he will always be remembered,” the message read. “His demise is a big loss to the Phom community in particular and Naga society in general,” it added. Conveying condolences to the bereaved family, Rio prayed that the Almighty let the departed soul rest in peace.

Ex-Parliamentarians Association The Ex-Parliamentarian Association has expressed shock to hear of the demise of Wokshing Phom who passed away on March 26 at Zion Hospital, Dimapur following a brief illness.

A message from the Association termedlateWokshing“asincere public leader who served the people with full devotion and dedication”.Extending heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, the association prayed for the departed soul to rest in peace. In a separate message, the Association also mourned the demise of Hepong Phom.

“He was a dedicated leader who tirelessly worked for the upliftment of the people,” the association stated.

NSCN (IM) mourns The NSCN (IM) has mourned the demise of Morang Charanga, Tatar, Khurmi Region who passed away on March 28. A condolence message from the MIP informed that late Charanga was nominated to Tatar on August 25, 2016 in recognition of his selfless service to the nation.

Terming him a “man of integrity”, the MIP stated, “He stood his ground with great dignity until his last breath.

In his death, the Naga nation has lost a great peace loving son,” the NSCN/GPRN stated and extended condolences to the bereaved family.

Nagaland clarifies on RNTBCP

Kohima, march 28 (mExN): The Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTBCP) under Directorate of Health & Family Welfare, Kohima today disclosed that Nagaland will be launching the Drug Bedaquiline once all the requirements are met.

In response to the press statement issued by Nagaland Users’ Network and ARK Foundation on the occasion of Word TB Day 2017, State TB Officer, DHFW Nagaland clarified that the ‘Training of Expanding Bedaquiline Access’ for the Programme Officials is to be held by the WHO. Since Nagaland does not have a Culture & Drug Sensitivity Testing Laboratory, which is a prime requisite for patients to be initiated on this Drug, a mechanism will have to be worked out to link to a C&DST Lab outside the State.

“Like so, many other technical modalities will have to be worked out. Once this is completed and Drugs are received from the Centre, Nagaland will be rolling out this new initiative which may take some time,” State TB Officer stated in a press release.

It also informed that Delamanid Drug is yet to come under the purview of the programme as of now. For any new drug/s to be introduced in the Programme, it will have to go a series of procedures, quality assurance, studies, testing, approvals etc which is beyond the control of the State Programme.

State TB Officer also clarified that RNTCP was launched in December 2002 and not 2001.

Relating to the CBNAAT machines, State TB Officer said that the machines are available now at Dimapur, Kohima, Mokokchung and Mon each. The CBNAAT machines which were meant for the Districts of Zunheboto and Tuensang could not be installed due to failure to identify the CBANAAT sites since certain speci-

fication and criteria could not be met. Hence, they are being temporarily kept at Kohima and Dimapur where the caseload is more.

It also clarified that 99 DOTS for co infected patients and Isonaizid Preventive therapy (IPT) for PLHIV was launched only in December 2016. Since then, 24 (Kohima) and 22 (Dimapur) Co-infected patients have been initiated on 99 DOTS treatment. A proper co-ordination between the RNTCP and NSACS becomes crucial for the successful implementation of these activities. Since these two initiatives are still at a nascent stage, it will require a few more months before these activities are streamlined.

In 2014, the number of Coinfected patients were 210 for whom DOTS TB treatment were already given. The figure 2881 as published is the number of registered TB patients who know their HIV status (whether Positive or Negative).

Further, no case of XDR TB patients is reported to have died so far under the programme. Three cases of XDR TB patients are currently under treatment in the State.

Medicines for treating XDR TB cases such as Linezolid, Clofazamine, Amoxyclav, Inj Capreomycin, PAS, Moxifloxacinetc is available under the Programme.

Meanwhile, all concerned individuals or groups are requested to “present only the true facts or knowledge to people in general, if required information or data can be obtained from the Programme or Department concerned. Failure to do so create a lot of unnecessary confusion and unrest among the people involved. It is also expected that our partners, NGOs etc participating in the programme in any forms continue to give support and try their utmost best to bridge the gap/loopholes between the public, patient community and the Programme.”

public discourse

Revision of customary law: First, is Nagaland a state or a nation?

I

Robert A. Silverstein

n the March 27, 2017 issue of The Morung Express and the March 28, 2017 issue of the Nagaland Post is an article by Sedevi Angami titled, “Customary law – review needed?” In the article, the author lists many questions that must be addressed to revise the customary law of the tribes of Nagaland. The author seems to imply, through all the issues he brings up, that such a revision is necessary. As a retired American lawyer, I have an appreciation for the relevance of most of his questions and assertions.

The article is well written.

The author lays out the difficulty of the revision project.

Toward the end of the article, he states, “The task will be huge and so if they [those experts in different fields that the author recommends take part in the revision] could start by at least

Kahuto Chishi Sumi G.B. Hevishe Village, Dimapur

I

do not support or condemn any of the many Naga Political Groups that are purportedly fighting for the rights of the Nagas; if any one faction or group of factions can further the Good of All Nagas, more power to them.

But Nagas everywhere, whether it be in the various states of India or Myanmar should know exactly what each of them are fighting for.

The N.S.C.N. (K) has made its stand clear, i.e. Integration of all Nagas and total Independence. The N.S.C.N. (U), N.S.C.N. (R) and the N.N.C.s have decided to stand on a common platform to discuss Terms with the Indian Government.

What puzzles the vast majority of Nagas everywhere and also the peoples of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, is the stand of the N.S.C.N. (IM). It would not have mattered

embarking on 10 most contentious issues in Naga society today, that would be a beginning.

“Not to do so would be postponing inevitable future chaos....”

There is one serious problem with the author's article, and it is the fact that he presumes a political position that is antithetical to most Nagas today and without a final solution to this issue, it is a waste of time starting the process of revision.

Toward the beginning of his article, he states some of the drawbacks to the Indian legal system: “The Indian legal system can be expensive, exhausting, difficult to access, [etc].....” Later on in his article he asks, “When do we apply customary law and when do we apply the Indian legal system? Is there a role for having a hybrid system that is unique

for Naga society?”

The above statement and questions indicate that the author has presumed that the state of Nagaland will continue to be a state within the nation of India. That happens to be the position that I accept will be the case, but the vast majority of Nagas do not yet accept that fact, at least if asked the question directly, “Do you want to stay within the nation of India or do you want to have a separate sovereign Naga nation?”

It is my contention that until that issue is finally decided it is premature to start a revision of Naga customary law.

The latest example of that is the recent bandh and resulting violence over the institution of Article 243T of the Indian Constitution, mandating that women get 33% of the seats on ULBs. The tribes, en masse,

protested that 243T conflicted with Article 371A of the Indian Constitution, which gives special status to Naga customary law, and that the vote, scheduled for February 1st, be postponed. We who followed those events closely know the result: the vote never took place, there was substantial violence and damage to property, three died, and a chief minister resigned.

I will risk mentioning a bit of Indian common law, to support my view that until the nationalism question is definitively answered it is premature to try to revise Naga customary law. In 1973, the Indian Supreme Court came down with a decision in the case of Kesavananda Bharti v. State of Kerala (1973), 4 SCC 225. It laid down the principle that there are certain parts of the Indian Constitution that are so fundamental

to it that amending those parts was itself unconstitutional, a radical view of the power of the judiciary. The principle is called the “basic structure” principle. That to amend any of these fundamental parts of the constitution would not be amending the constitution but in effect would be fundamentally changing it, that is, such amendments would in a sense be acting like a constituent assembly (similar to the one that promulgated the constitution from 1946 to 1949), and that the amendment process was not meant to allow that.

Here's the significance of that principle. The Supreme Court over the years has defined what parts of the Indian Constitution are part of the “basic structure,” and cannot be amended in any substantial way. And one of those parts is Article 14, “The State shall not

deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India.”

If Article 14 is part of the “basic structure” of the Indian Constitution, and it is, then Article 371A will not overrule Article 243T, and the election of women to ULBs is inevitable.

That is, unless Nagaland is no longer a part of India. And just as the principle of the “basic structure” will affect the issue of women on ULBs, it may affect many other issues. (Equality is not the only concept that is part of the “basic structure.” So is “democracy,” “secularism,” “the rule of law,” and more.)

In recent days, the Centre clarified the Nagalim issue, and it came down against the Naga demand for a greater Nagaland.

It is only a matter of time before the Centre is forced to announce its decision on whether

What Every Naga Should Know

as much if not for the fact that they, themselves, along with the Government of India, had not publicised it so much, along with the imminence of its signing. The “Framework Agreement” seems to be the greatest thing that has happened to India since Independence from the British Crown; and that Nagas have never seen, nor will ever see it’s like. The bombastic terms used to describe it leaves me undecided on whether to swell with pride or blush in embarrassment.

The first thing every Naga should keep in mind is that, “The words used to describe anything does not matter so much as the thing itself.”Calling a diamond a stone, does not lessen its value, it is still a diamond. Likewise, calling a stone a diamond, does not turn it into a diamond, it remains a stone. So using terms like “Historic”, “Unique” etc. to describe the “Framework Agreement” means nothing until and un-

less we know what is historic or unique about it. We should not worry about whether “Sovereignty” is to be shared or divided, but, “Who will wield sovereignty over us, and under what terms and conditions?”

I have come across some images of some documents on the internet which purports to be clauses of the “Framework Agreement”. In an earlier article, I had suggested that the N.S.C.N. (I-M) should either accept or deny their veracity.

I know that I am nobody, that such a powerful and important organisation like the N.S.C.N. (I-M) should pay attention to anything I say or write; but in the interests of all Nagas who have suffered untold and innumerable miseries at the hands of so many for so long, while some of us purport to fight for “Our” rights, I bring to light some, which I think all Nagas of Nagaland, should worry about.

1. The clauses are printed

on a map of the present State of Nagaland and speak of “The State of Nagaland”, not “The State of Nagalim”, mind you.

So, if the documents are true, there seems to be no question of territorial integration of Naga inhabited areas of Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh or Myanmar. So, the Chief Ministers of Manipur and Assam, along with their citizens, can stop worrying about the breakup of their states. And we, in Nagaland, can rest assured that the “Framework Agreement” will apply, exclusively, to the present state of Nagaland 2. One clause states,” Government of Nagaland will have the authority to levy income and other taxes on permanent residents of Nagaland in relation to any transactions, which take place within Nagaland.”

Another states, “Only permanent residents of Nagaland may own land Nagaland (sic). Other residents may lease land but

not own it.”

Here, I want the reader to be very attentive. Leave aside the part mentioning taxes and concentrate on the words, “Permanent Resident of Nagaland”, not Indigenous Inhabitant of Nagaland, but Permanent resident of Nagaland. If the clause is really from the “Framework Agreement” then all Nagas of Nagaland should be aware that we are no longer to be classified as indigenous people of Nagaland. Furthermore, we have to ask ourselves:(a) What or who is a “Permanent Resident’ of Nagaland? (b) On what basis will “Permanency’ be decided? Will it be decided on the length of your stay in Nagaland or the fact that your ancestors settled the land, claimed it from the forests, braved diseases and wild animals so that their descendants could have a piece of land that they could call their own? (c) When I already have constitutional protection under In-

dia that only an indigenous inhabitant of Nagaland can own land in Nagaland, why should I agree to an “Agreement” wherein a new animal called a “Permanent Resident of Nagaland” may deprive me of my right to my land?

3. A third clause states, “All natural resources in, below and above the soil will belong to Nagaland”. It does not specify whether it will belong to “The State “ or “The Government”; but I feel that I am right in concluding that it will NOT belong to “The People”.

So, in the event that the document is true, Nagas in Nagaland will no longer be able to sell lumber from the forests we presently own, unless we have planted the trees ourselves, we will lose the rights to the waters and creatures of our rivers and streams, we can no longer sell or mine coal or any other minerals found in our lands. And the Lothas of Champang Valley can stop worrying about royal-

the Naga demand for a sovereign Naga nation will be granted. I have argued that such a separate nation will be denied to the Nagas. But whether I'm right or wrong, it is surely premature to move forward on any revision of the Naga customary law, and in fact it is premature to move forward on any major project in Nagaland, until the issue is decided. Whether Nagaland is a state within India or a separate nation will affect almost every important decision that the Nagas must address in the coming months and years.

(The 2018 elections for a state Assembly could be an election for a national Parliament!) In my opinion, a separate Naga nation is highly unlikely, but as long as the vast majority of Nagas believe the issue of Naga sovereignty is alive, any project like the one suggested by the author must be put on hold.

ties from their oilfields.

Everybody seems to be calling for unity so that the “Historic Framework Agreement” may be signed. That under its “Direction”, Nagas will arrive at the magical “Solution” to all our problems, that Tribalism, Corruption, Nepotism and Sycophancy will magically vanish; and that the “Collective Leadership” possesses all the Wisdom of Solomon and Imagination of Einstein to change Nagaland into a Heaven on Earth. But I am a Doubting Thomas. I reserve my Blind Faith in God and God alone, I will not put my faith in any one man, or group of men until and unless I know where he or they are leading me. I may be a dog barking while the caravan moves on; but I bark that the caravan may not fall over a cliff or that it sinks into a quicksand from which it never emerges into the light of day.

GOD SAVE OUR NAGALAND

Readers may please note that the contents of the articles, letters and opinions published do not reflect the outlook of this paper nor of the Editor in any form.

Wednesday 29•03•2017

EntErtainmEnt

Drake ends Sheeran's Non-bailable warrant issued against Mamta Kulkarni Billboard 200 reign, smashes streaming record M

D

rake ended Ed Sheeran's two week reign atop the Billboard 200 album chart on Monday, selling a monster 505,000 copies of his new album "More Life," according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan. The Canadian rapper, the world's best-selling artist of 2016, took the No. 1 spot, setting a new streaming record and bringing home the biggest U.S. sales week for any album since his 2016 release "Views."

Nielsen said 257,000 units were earned from streaming, beating Drake's previous record-setting 163,000 streaming units for "Views." The Billboard 200 album chart tallies units from album sales, song sales (10 songs equal one album) and streaming activity (1,500 streams equal one album). Drake's new release pushed British singer-songwriter Sheeran's "Divide" into second place on the Billboard 200 with some 118,000 units sold.

Rapper Rick Ross landed in the No.3 spot with his new album "Rather You Than Me." Sheeran however remained top of the digital songs chart, which measures online single sales, thanks to "Shape of You," which sold another 97,000 units in its 11th week on the chart.

Source: Reuters

'Spider-Man' trailer to release in 10 languages

T

C M Y K

he trailer of upcoming Hollywood superhero film "Spider-Man: Homecoming", featuring Tom Holland in the title role, will be released in 10 languages in India.

The trailer of the film will be released in India in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Kannada, Marathi and Bengali.

"We take pride at finding innovative ways to engage with the audiences that often turn out to be the trend setters for the industry. We wanted to give Spider-Man a hero's welcome and what better way than people of India welcoming him to their homes in their own language," Vivek Krishnani, Managing Director, Sony Pictures Entertainment India, said in a statement.

"India loves Spider-Man and the franchise has seen unprecedented success at the Indian box office. ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming' is going to be larger, bigger than its previous outings as this installment blends with the Marvel Cinematic Universe," Krishnani added.

Source: IANS

amta Kulkarni‘s woes are just not over yet. A special court on Monday issued non-bailable arrest warrants against the yesteryear actress and alleged international druglord Vicky Goswami.

The warrants were issued by the special court of H M Patwardhan on Monday. According to a senior Police officer who spoke to TOI, that investigators spoke about ‘clinching evidence’ against these two who are presently absconding from the day their names became public in the racket. They want to file a chargesheet based on it.

TOI reports, “Special public prosecutor Shishir Hiray, appearing for the prosecution, in a marathon submission to the special court sought the warrant, and informed the court that they have ample evidence against the duo and their involvement in the drug racket as a prime accused. Hiray pointed out that based on the interrogation of arrested accused, Kulkarni and Goswami are main play-

ers in the case and they had set up a well-oiled drug cartel, right from procuring raw material of ephedrine from India and even planned transportation and manufacture of methamphetamine in Kenya.”

During an interview to IANS, Mamta had called herself innocent. “I am a yogini (ascetic). I am engaged in spirituality and it effects by activities since the past 20 years. I am innocent of the accusations against me. I have never engaged in any act contrary to the principles of Indian statutes and am a victim of high-handedness, crude,unprofessional and unethical conspiracy by the officers of the US’s Drug Enforcement Administration and the Thane police.” The news agency had further reported that she had written to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju demanding a probe against the Maharashtra Police to unearth the reasons behind dragging her name into the drugs case.

Now ShowiNg

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Source: Bollywood life

01:15 PM & 05:50 PM

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12

Wednesday 29•03•2017

SPORTS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

A-1 Power Play lift U-18 Futsal tournament Morung Express News Dimapur | March 28

In a thrilling finale, A-1 Power Play team thumped Purgatory Futsal team 4-1 to emerge champions of the First U-18 ‘Futsal Tournament’ held at A-1 Power Play Arena, at 3rd Mile on Monday night.

The 5-man soccer tournament was organized by A-1 Power Play in association with the State Department of Youth Resources & Sports. Altogether 16 teams from Dimapur and Kohima took part in the tournament.

In the first half of the game (10 minutes), which witnessed spectacular goal attempts and brilliants saves from the two rival custodians, both teams were locked at 1-1 draw.

However, after the lemon break, a renewed A-1

Champions of the U-18 Futsal tournament, A-1 Power Play, with their trophy and organizers of the tournament. (Morung Photo)

Power Play boys captained by their goalkeeper Mito Achumi came back with a bang and stunned the rival custodian with three goals in a row, leaving the Purgatory defence in disarray.

Despite repeated forays, Purgatory boys led by their captain Sehtingin Kuki

could not connect the ball into the rival net, thanks to the acrobatic saves by Mito.

The champions walked away with cash prize of Rs. 30,000 and certificates while the runner up bagged Rs. 20,00 cash and certificates. Ghovishe Kiba, first class contractor, and V

Shikuto Achumi, secretary DCCI, gave away the trophy and prizes to the champion and runner-up teams respectively.

Earlier, Parliamentary Secretary for YR&S, Khekaho Assumi, had inaugurated the tournament on March 26.

CBS Chetheba brings hope to football grassroots

C M Y K

The students taking part in the training session.

cHetHebA, MARcH 28 (MexN): With the hope to uplift youngsters taking keen interest in football, Chokri Baptist School

(CBS), Chetheba Town organized football coaching for its students at the Local Ground Chetheba from March 21 to 27.

The football coaching was aimed to target the students at the age between 12 and 16 years to develop more interest and also uplift

the students to take sports with keen interest. The coaching was led by Vekhruto Kezo, currently playing for Naga FC. According to the organizers, sports been the essence of students life and football been one of the most popular games and most favorite game in Nagaland, the coaching was being organized to train the promising students in this discipline at the young age.

Altogether 30 boys and 12 girls of CBS enrolled themselves and participated throughout the coaching period.

India thump Australia to end home season in style

DHARAMSALA, MARcH 28 (ReuteRS): India opener Lokesh Rahul's elegant fifty and standin skipper Ajinkya Rahane's quickfire 38 not out secured a series-clinching eightwicket romp in the fourth and final test against Australia on Tuesday.

Wrapping up the win appeared a formality for India when their openers walked out at the picturesque venue nestled in the shadows of the Himalayas needing just 87 runs to seal the series 2-1 with all 10 second innings wickets intact.

While the miracle that Australia desperately needed did not materialise, paceman Pat Cummins injected brief excitement into the contest in his second over of the morning.

Murali Vijay, survivor of back-to-back lbw appeals from Josh Hazlewood, had looked a walking wicket all morning and the opener edged the first ball of that Cummins over to be caught behind for eight.

Five balls later, Cheteshwar Pujara belied his reputation as a good judge of singles and was run out without scoring when Glenn Maxwell, from point, threw down the middle stump at the nonstriker's end.

Australia did not get another chance to celebrate as Rahul and Rahane combined to complete India's comprehensive victory with more than five ses-

Indian players pose with the trophy after winning the series. (REUTERS)

sions to spare.

Rahul made 51 not out, completing his sixth fifty in seven innings when he scored the winning runs at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium marking its debut as a test arena.

Leading the side in the absence of injured skipper Virat Kohli, Rahane smashed a rapid unbeaten 38 off 27 balls, an innings of uncharacteristic aggression that included back-toback sixes off Cummins.

India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who claimed 25 wickets to go with his couple of fifties, won the man-of-the-match and man-of-the-series awards.

SEVENTH HEAVEN The victory sealed India's seventh series win in a row, dating back to their triumph in Sri Lanka in

August 2015. The victory also brought a successful end to India's 13-test home season, in which they won 10, drew two and had the lone loss to Australia in the opener in Pune.

Kohli, who missed the final match with a shoulder injury, has already set his sight on rectifying India's image as poor travellers.

"We are very happy with the number one ranking in the world but our main challenge begins now," the 28-year-old said.

"If we can conquer the overseas season, that's when you will see a broader smile on my face when I sit down for the press conference." Australia captain Steve Smith said his team gave a good account of themselves even if they could not win the series.

"I'm proud of the way we've been able to turn

Messi banned for four international matches

ZuRIcH, MARcH 28 (ReuteRS): Argentina forward Lionel Messi has been banned from their next four competitive internationals, starting with Tuesday's World Cup qualifier in Bolivia, for swearing at a match official, FIFA said on Tuesday.

The decision was announced less than six hours before kickoff of the match in La Paz and means the five-times world player of the year will play in only one of Argentina's remaining five World Cup qualifiers.

FIFA said Messi had

Record Real move all down to Hazard, says Calderon

LoNDoN, MARcH 28 (AFP): Chelsea's Eden Hazard will decide on a move to Real Madrid at the end of the season, with the Spanish giants prepared to pay a world record transfer fee, according to former club president Ramon Calderon.

The Belgium midfielder is under contract with Premier League leaders Chelsea until June 2020 but Hazard, a childhood fan of Real coach Zinedine Zidane, has been repeatedly linked with a move to the Bernabeu.

But Calderon reckons it will cost Real a world record fee of £100 million ($125 million, 115 million euros) to make the move a reality.

"Chelsea aren't a selling club, so it wouldn't be easy, but as always it would depend on the wishes of the player," Calderon told Talksport Radio's Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show on Tuesday.

"It's all about the player.

The player must say, 'I want to leave and go to Real Madrid', and that will be the moment they start negotiating."

Hazard, who arrived at Stamford Bridge from Lille in 2012, has regained his best form under Blues manager Antonio Conte, with west London club Chelsea 10 points in front at the top of the table with 10 league games of the season left.

"directed insulting words at an assistant referee" during the 1-0 win over Chile on Friday, in which he scored the only goal from a penalty.

Television pictures showed him swearing at Brazilian linesman Emerson Augusto do Carvalho at

By:

the end of the match after being harried and fouled

by Chile's Jean Beausejour.

The official patted him on the head and tried to calm him down but Messi kept ranting.

The AFA said it would appeal against the decision.

Northern Angami T20 Bash March 29 matches High School Daredevils vs Lower Bayavü Giants @ 10:00 am Kenuozou Wolves vs Zienuobadze High Flyers @ 1:00 pm

things around and really compete in these conditions. I know coming over here, I said it a few times, we're being written off, we'd lose 4-0 and all that kind of stuff," Smith said.

"But the way we've been out here competing in each and every test match, it's been great to be part of a fantastic series."

The series is likely to be remembered equally for the top quality cricket it served and the acrimony that surrounded it.

Kohli took the postmatch news conference by surprise when he announced that his off-the-field friendship with the Australian cricketers was over.

Smith, on the other hand, apologised for mouthing abuse after India's Murali Vijay failed to catch Josh Hazlewood cleanly but still appealed.

Vikheho Swu

(Cabinet Minister, Government of Nagaland)

Khesheli Chishi

(OSD & Principal Secretary, Department of Justice & Law, Government of Nagaland)

YouthNet

Clean Election : Framing the issues in Nagaland

Date Time Venue

Please note: Registration is free but seats are reserved on a first-call/email, first-serve basis. This advertisement is an official invite to anyone willing to participate.

: Saturday, April 8, 2017 : 12:00 pm – 03:00 pm : DABA Elim Hall Duncan Bosti, Dimapur

LIMITEd SEATS

Those interested to participate, kindly send us your name and phone number to:

morung@gmail.com or

+91 (03862) 248854 or

+91 7005501624

The Morung Lectures is an initiative of The Morung for Indigenous Affairs & Just Peace, and The Morung Express

Bhogle set to return to cricket commentary

KoLKAtA, MARcH 28 (PtI): Harsha Bhogle is set to end his exile from cricket commentary after the official broadcasters of the Indian Premier League today hinted that the renowned commentator could be seen in action in the 10th edition of the T20 tournament.

"It's our intention to get him back in the studio.

However we have some paperwork formalities left but in all likelihood we may see him doing commentary in the upcoming IPL," Prasana Krishnan, EVP and business head, sports cluster Sony Pictures Networks India, said here today.

A popular face behind the camera, Bhogle has spent nearly a year away from the commentary box after he had a stand-off with the erstwhile BCCI administration.

Apparently, it all began with his criticism of the In-

dian cricket team's performance and star actor Amitabh Bachchan without taking names took a shot at Bhogle on his Twitter handle.

Bhogle's comments also were not well received by former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and team officials.

The episode led to his ouster from the commentary team of Indian cricket team and last IPL but with a new administration in place in the BCCI, there seems to be a change in fortune for Bhogle, who was recently seen doing cricket analysis for a sports website.

The official broadcasters further said they would be organising various promotional activities across India and would continue with the Fan Park across 35 cities of the country during the April 5-May 21 tournament.

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