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ThursDAY • MArch 02 • 2017
DIMAPUR • Vol. XII • Issue 58 • 12 PAGes • 5
T H e
ESTD. 2005
P o W e R
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T R u T H
If you can’t resolve your problems in peace, you can’t solve them with war — Somalian proverb Govt asks all banks to have mobile banking facility by March 31 PAGE 08
Exploring the thoughts and achievements of a Naga businessman
India won’t be butterfingers at Bengaluru, says Murali Vijay
PAGE 02
PAGE 12
nagaland: css teacher’s salary conundrum persists
An athelete competing at the ongoing Angami Sports Association’s Golden Jubilee Tournament in Kohima on March 1. (Morung Photo)
reflections
By Sandemo Ngullie
Congress says NPF ‘lost its regional identity’
DIMAPUR, MARCH 1 (MExN): The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) today stated that the recent statements made by former Nagaland Chief Minister, TR Zeliang and Education Minister Yitachu on the government decision not to use central forces during the recent protests and violence “exposes their hollow mindset that has no respect for voices and sentiments of the people.” A press note from the Don’t cry,be strong. Death is a reality we’ll all face,there’s NBCC media cell said that no escaping,by the way the entire ULB election fihow did your pig die? asco and loss of lives and property “could have been averted had these leaders tactfully handled the simmering situation.”
Govt notifies law to make banned note possession punishable
NEw DElHI, MARCH 1 (PTI): The government has notified the law that makes holding of more than 10 scrapped notes punishable with a minimum fine of Rs 10,000. The Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Act, 2017, was passed by Parliament last month. The law, signed by President Pranab Mukherjee on February 27, also provides for a minimum fine Rs 50,000 for false declaration by persons who were abroad during the demonetisation period (November 9-December 30, 2016) and given time to deposit such scrapped notes with RBI till March 31. With the law coming into force, possession of more than 10 pieces of the old notes by individuals and more than 25 pieces for study, research or numismatics purpose will be a criminal offence, attracting fine of Rs 10,000 or five times the cash held, whichever is higher.
“Moreover, TR Zeliang has brought disrepute to himself by claiming that he is the victim of majoritarian politics. If that be the case, how did he become the Chief Minister in the first place? Rather than be thankful to the legislators for allowing him the opportunity to head the government, his statement in Tamenglong speaks of pettiness and negative attitude that is unbecoming of the position he held,” the Congress said. “Playing the minority card is a desperate attempt to polarize the people on communal lines,” it stated, and asked the former CM to “know that he is playing with fire that can burn his hands in-
stead of others.” The NPCC meanwhile termed it ironic that the NPF “claims to listen to the wishes and aspirations of the common people while asserting that people were the party’s high command.” Nagaland, it reminded, was shut down for more than three weeks “since the exact opposite action was taken by NPF government.” It alleged that the NPF “lost its regional identity long ago and its high command is now the BJP-RSS.” “It will better for the NPF to merge with BJP-RSS rather than pretend to be separate entities when they are already two sides of the same coin,” it added.
DIMAPUR, MARCH 1 (MExN): While the past month has been dominated by the turmoil over the ULB poll issue, the ensuing violence and its effect on the government and the state’s political leadership, the dour plight of teachers appointed under Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) in Nagaland continues. The Nagaland RMSA Teachers Association (NRMSATA) and the All Nagaland Hindi Teachers’ Union (ANHTU) today issued statements to remind the government and the new Chief Minister of the same. In a letter to the Chief Minister, Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu, the NRMSATA stated that the salary issue for the CSS employees under RMSA, SSA, Hindi teachers etc “blatantly speaks about the irresponsible attitude of the state government in solving the problem.” It reminded that the associations have been raising their voices every now and again so far as regularization of salary is concerned. “It is not at all encouraging to always engross ourselves in paper wars at regular interval. It’s a new year, a new beginning, a new academic session; therefore, from the early start itself, let us try not to whistle past on someone’s graveyard and spoil the whole show of the year. Allow the teaching community to have a joyful and prosperous year by putting to an end to this particular issue once and for all,” the NRMSATA ap-
pealed to the CM. The association asked the CM to confront the fact that the regular delay in salaries for CSS teachers “is not because of the Central Government.” It rather alleged that the Nagaland State Government is responsible for “creating the obstacles.” It said that when the MHRD, Government of India “sanctions its 90% share as salary component to the state exchequer, similarly the state government is expected to give 10% of its due share.” The association however lamented that the Nagaland State Government “always procrastinates to give its share on time; thus the delay of salary begins.” “Because, until and unless the state government gives its due matching share, the concerned department will not be in a position to prepare the utilization certificate (UC), meaning to say, the RMSA, SSA officials have to show proof to the MHRD (GoI) that they have utilized the already sanctioned amount and are ready for the next installment, which is a mass of documents in order to receive the next stipends,” it informed. The association further slammed the “lackadaisical attitude of state government,” who it claimed “never bothers to comply with the guidelines and procedure laid down by the MHRD (GoI),” and termed this as the “main hindrance for frequent delay of salary.” While acknowledging that various new measures and
In this regard, the NRMSATA stated that there are two options: either, to retract the funding process from the Finance Department so that RMSA, SSA teachers directly receive the sanctioned amount from the MHRD (GOI); or the state government should give its due matching 10% share on time. “Similarly, we as teachers will whole heartedly dedicate ourselves in facilitating the career of the students without any reserve or disturbances,” it assured. The NRMSATA expressed hope that the CM would work towards finding an early solution to this problem without further delay. ANHTU extends deadline for release of salaries Meanwhile, the All Nagaland Hindi Teachers’ Union (ANHTU) today informed that it has decided to extend the deadline for release of salaries to CSS Hindi teachers till March 7. In a press note, the ANHTU reminded that it had served an ultimatum to the Director, Directorate of School Education to release the nine month worth of salaries by February 10. The department is yet to do so. With the extended deadline, the ANHTU cautioned that if the department fails to fulfill its demands, the union would start a phase wise agitation along with the 1379 CSS Hindi teachers. It therefore advised all district CSS Hindi teachers representatives to “prepare for phase wise agitation.”
Industrialization: odds still stacked against Nagaland Cyclist on his 5th round of
‘Strong, committed and clear’ policies supported by ‘enlightened political will’ needed: Vision 2030 Our Correspondent Kohima | March 1
Odds seem to be stacked against the State in terms of industrialization but the challenges are surmountable. Strong, committed and clear policies supported by a strong and enlightened political will can change all of that, noted the Nagaland Vision 2030 document. The lack of appropriate infrastructure especially that of connectivity covering the aspects of roads, power, IT and Telecom, lack of capital formation in the state and poor banking culture and coverage, lack of environment for investments starting with peace, law & order as also the peculiar land laws and land
tenure systems are some of the reasons why industrialization has not taken off in Nagaland. This was stated in Nagaland Vision 2030 statement. Other reasons include poor access to markets of India as a result of remoteness, isolation and a landlocked situation along with very poor connectivity, poor internal economy and lack of local markets for promotion of products before export, and lack of industrial labor force. On the one hand, the population of the state is very low, without sufficient manpower for agriculture, while the growing educated population is focused mainly on government employment. There also appears to be a stigma associated with labor oriented jobs. It also cited other reasons such as lack of entrepreneurial skills and technical know-how including management skills that appear to be the main rea-
sons for the failure of the Sugar Mill and the Paper Mill apart from inertia of public sector understandings, lack of identification of the products for ‘Make’ in Nagaland, high expectations and widespread dependence on government for the development of industries while on the other hand, the government has no resources and lacks technological knowhow to promote industries. “Lack of clear definition and charter of duties of the industry department that it still functions on the principles and model of the Rural Industries Program (RIP) later renamed as the District Industries Centre,” it stated, adding that such limitations have further been translated to the functioning of the various corporations that have been set up as promotional bodies but have been neglected and have mostly become dysfunctional although their ratio-
nale still exists. These include Nagaland Industrial Development Corporation, Nagaland Handloom & Handicraft Development Corporation and Nagaland State Mineral Development Corporation. “A look at the constraints appears as if the odds are stacked against the state. But they are not insurmountable obstacles. In fact, it does not mean that there is no potential for industrialization in the state,” the Vision document stated, adding that they can be overcome by a clear and determined approach involving strong, committed and clear policies supported by a strong and enlightened political will. The instruments, the institutional arrangements and the philosophy of intervention for industrialization will need to be clearly defined and acted upon to create an enabling environment for industrialization to take off in the state, it added.
After 2010, India’s air deteriorated faster than ever
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policies have been adopted in order to improve the teaching learning process, it however cautioned that unless the salary problem is solved “there is less chance that the government run institutes will bear much fruits as expected.” “We are seriously fed up of requesting and demanding for the release of our salary. As once said by Napoleon Bonaparte: ‘An army marches on its stomach.’ An army here is no different with that of the teachers like us. No matter what, the basic need of an individual plays a vital role in any establishment,” it stated. It reminded that when the CSS programme was freshly introduced, there was continuous free flow payment of salary and delays if any were for only a month or two as the fund was directly accounted to the concerned sections/ departments by the MHRD Accounts (GOI). It however claimed that the prolonged delay in salaries now is due to the “state government diverting the funding process to the Finance and Planning department etc. where the fund for CSS employees are kept in the Government Civil Deposit to maintain the minimum balance in the state exchequer.” The association strongly objected to this diversion of fund “just to serve their interest depriving the masses and RMSA, SSA employees in particular,” and questioned the state government’s “indifference” to CSS employees.
NEw DElHI, MARCH 1 (IANS/INDIASPEND): India’s air quality deteriorated faster than ever over the five years to 2015, compared to the period before 2010, according to the State of Global Air 2017 report, recently released by the US-based Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), an independent global health research organisation. The report also said a million Indians die from the effects of air pollution every year, a link that the government has rejected. Although the rate of death and disability adjusted life years (DALY) has been reduc-
ing at more than one per cent a year in India, the indicators slowed between 2010 and 15, indicating a rise in air pollution over the period stalled improvement, according to our analysis of IHME data. Deaths per 100,000 population in India due to air pollution reduced from 165 in 1990 to 135 in 2010, according to the IHME data. But, the rate remained almost the same in the five-year period under consideration: 2010-15. India has better air quality than Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh, but its air quality is about 50 per cent worse air than China, two times worse than South
Africa and five times worse than the United Kingdom. In the six countries considered for analysis, India reported the worst deaths-perpopulation ratio: 135 dead per 100,000 people. The figures show that air quality in Saudi Arabia has been improving since 2010, at a rate faster than the rate of deterioration in India. Air pollution due to particulate matter -- fine particles made up of oxides of sulphur, nitrogen and carbon -- especially PM 2.5, is the fifth-biggest killer in the world, after the diseases related to the heart and diabetes, according to the IHME report. PM 2.5 refers
to particulate matter known to pose the greatest threat to human health, smaller than 2.5 micrometers, or roughly 1/30th the thickness of a human hair. These particles can be inhaled deep into the lungs, causing heart attacks and strokes, which account for three-quarters of 3.3 million deaths -- including 645,000 in India -- every year globally, according to a 2015 study from Harvard University. Healthy years lost due to polluted air in India reduced from 4,138 per 100,000 population in 1990 to 3,022 in 2010, only to remain near constant till 2015 (2,922). Even in terms of healthy
years lost, India fared worst amongst the six countries. The report’s findings -- specifically the estimate of a million deaths in India every year -- were rejected by Environment Minister Anil Dave on February 22. “There are many serious institutions in India -- NGOs, government organizations -which do research on this issue,” said Dave. “And a proud country always trusts in its own data and takes action on that. (Controlling) air quality is not rocket science. What state governments and local bodies have to do, they have been told a number of times. In the future as well they will be told.”
country to end discrimination
Cyclist Bhausaheb Bhawar (44), who has been traveling around the Indian Union to raise awareness on discriminatory practices of communities, is seen here in Dimapur, Nagaland, on March 1. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News Dimapur | March 1
Awareness campaigns often bring people to the campaign but a cyclist is taking the campaign to the people all over the Indian Union. Bhausaheb Bhawar (44) is on his fifth cycling round all over the Union to spread his message against caste practices of dowry and female foeticide. “I want to raise awareness on positive aspects of life. Practices like dowry lead to female foeticide, and further discrimination on gender lines. Women must have an equal footing in society,” said Bhawar who has been cycling from place to place to raise awareness since 1993. He just completed a month long visit to Manipur, cycling all the way to Moreh even, before he cycled to Kohima and then Dimapur. Bhawar will speak on his mission and campaign at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Sewak, Midland, here on March 2 at 7:30 am. His white cycle is flanked by the Indian flag in front with a board carrying the message of anti discrimination apart from national integration; at the back is a huge
bag load of documents and papers. On being asked, he opened up one whole folder of support and acknowledgement of his work from various quarters of the country that he received during his journey. He also works to promote the Swacch Bharat Mission— cycling produces zero carbon emission thereby taking the mission of a clean environment to another level. The cyclist highlighted much about his visit to Mizoram. “There they understand the issues and people appreciate such campaigns very much. I was able to meet and interact with a number of people who showed enthusiasm for my cycling mission and also helped me out,” said Bhawar. The cyclist is from Jalna district of Maharashtra and mostly stays with community heads in order to maximize interaction on discriminatory practices of communities. He survives on a lean vegetarian diet and maintains the best possible health—his glasses, a watch, Rotary International tee shirt, track pants, shoes and cap are his permanent companions. Bhawar’s next destination is Jorhat, Assam.