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MonDAY • MAY 01 • 2017
DIMAPUR • Vol. XII • Issue 117• 12 PAGes • 5
T H e
ESTD. 2005
P o W e R
o F
T R u T H
Character is a by-product; it is produced in the great manufacture of daily duty — Woodrow T. Wilson Pope urges mediation to end North Korea crisis, avert devastating war
Inter school peace colloquium held in Peren
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By Sandemo Ngullie
No chopper service on May 3 DiMApUr, April 30 (MexN): The Nagaland State Transport today informed that state helicopter services will not be available on May 3 due to inspection and scheduled maintenance. The NST, in a press note today, asked people to bear with the inconvenience.
NTTU urges Peren DC to revoke notification DiMApUr, April 30 (MexN): The Nagaland Timber Traders’ Union (NTTU) has taken strong exception to the notification issued by Deputy Commissioner, Peren, dated January 11, 2017, which stated that vehicles carrying log and timber would not be allowed to pass through District HQ Peren, without prior permission from the competent authority with effect from April 30, 2017. The NTTU in a press release issued by its president Kevise Sogotsu, informed that after receiving the notification, the Union submitted a representation seeking revocation/cancellation of the said notification and the representation was received by the DC’s Office, Peren, on April 26, 2016. “It is hereby made known to one and all that, if our request is not accepted then we will be compelled to take necessary legal action as per the law of the land, as this affects our business and directly hampers our livelihood, which is guaranteed under Article 14: Right to Equality, Article 19 (1): Freedom of profession, Trade and Business and Article 21: Right to livelihood which is enshrined in the Constitution of India”,the release stated. Appealing to the authority concerned to cancel/revoke the stated notification in the interest and welfare of the timber trading community as submitted in the representation, NTTU affirmed that in the event of failure on the part of the authority concerned to do so, the Union would be compelled to seek redressal of its grievances from the appropriate court of law.
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‘Dump ViP culture and embrace ePi’
reflecTions
Good news Doctor. Those coma patients in the iCu ward…They’re all waking up, thanks to our creaking and banging doors.
Aizawl FC win I-League title to script history
New Delhi, April 30 (iANS): Calling for cleansing the Indian psyche of the “deeply entrenched” VIP culture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said ‘VIP’ must be replaced by ‘EPI’ -- Every Person is Important. Speaking on a range of issues in his radio address ‘Mann Ki Baat’, Modi also said that the South Asia Satellite to be launched by India on May 5 will go a long way in addressing the region’s economic and developmental priorities. The Prime Minister also urged the young to step out of their comfort zone. “The red beacon used to be fixed atop a vehicle but slowly and steadily it permeated into the psyche and got firmly entrenched in the mindset. The red beacon has gone for good but nobody can say with cerProtesters dressed as the earth and U.S. President Donald Trump pretend to fight during the Peoples Climate March tainty that it has also disapnear the White House in Washington DC, us on April 30. A sea of protesters swarmed in front of the White House on peared from the mindset,” sunday to voice displeasure with President Donald Trump’s stance on the environment and demand that he rethink said Modi, adding there plans to reverse the climate change policies backed by his predecessor. (REUTERS) was disdain for VIP (Very Important Person) culture in the country. “The concept behind the ‘New India’ is that EPI should replace VIP. EPI Morung Express news As per the Traffic po- curred as there was re- from Longkong village means Every Person is Imlice, the three persons portedly no witnesses to and were identified as Dimapur | April 30 portant. We should accept were on a scooter, which the incident. Keyangluba Imsong (38 the importance of 125 crore While stating that in- years), Limalepzuk LongThree people were killed was suspected to have Indians,” said Modi, asking in a suspected hit and run been hit by another ve- formation of the incident kumer (45 years) and people to collectively strive case in Dimapur on Sun- hicle. All three were was received around Limakumzuk Jamir (35 to flush out the VIP culture. day, April 30. The incident found unconscious and 12:15 pm, the Traffic po- years). Talking about space A case has been regisoccurred at the National sprawled on the road, the lice said that the three diplomacy, Modi said the Highway (NH) 29, near Traffic police said, while were rushed to the HK tered and alert was soundSouth Asia Satellite was an the NAPTC RP gate in adding that it could not Hospital where they suc- ed at all check-posts, the appropriate example of Inbe ascertained how it oc- cumbed. They hailed Traffic police added. Chumukedima. dia’s commitment towards
Three die in suspected hit & run
the region. “The capacities of this satellite and the facilities it provides will go a long way in addressing South Asia’s economic and developmental priorities. “Natural resources mapping, tele medicine, the field of education, deeper IT connectivity or fostering people-to-people contact -- this satellite will prove to be a boon in the progress of the entire region,” he said, describing it an important step by India to enhance cooperation with South Asia. The communication satellite GSAT-9 will be launched using the Indian Space Research Organisation’s heavy rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F09). All South Asian countries, except Pakistan, are part of the project. Stressing on the importance of having practical knowledge along with theoretical, Modi asked the young to move out of their comfort zone and gather new experiences and skills. Urging them to experiment and satiate their curiosity on various subjects, Modi suggested youngsters to travel in unreserved rail coaches. “What you cannot learn in a year, you will learn in that crowded train travelling without any reservation for 24 hours.” He also asked them to play with poor children.
“Have you ever thought what changes will come in the lives of those kids who live in abject poverty when they get an opportunity to play with you. I believe that if you go there once, your heart will tell you to go back again and again. This experience will teach you a lot.” Modi also expressed concern over people being too engrossed with technology and asked youngsters to “self-evaluate whether the human element within yourself is getting frustrated”. Observing that climate change was no more confined to the academic world, Modi said “nature has changed the rules of the game”. “The heat we used to experience in May-June is being felt in March-April this year.” He said the government will on Monday release a stamp to mark the occasion of the 1,000th birth anniversary of Saint Ramanujacharya. He also spoke on the relevance of Buddha’s philosophy. “The world today is undergoing a plethora of problems such as violence, war, annihilation, the arms race. Amidst this atmosphere, the philosophy of Buddha comes across as extremely relevant,” said Modi. Modi said he will be paying tributes to Lord Buddha in Sri Lanka on the occasion of UN Vesak Day that celebrates the birth of Gautam Buddha.
A resolution is not enough, nagaland Power Dept: Widening gap nPcc to nagaland state BJP between revenue and expenditure
DiMApUr, April 30 (MexN): The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) today stated that “if there is any truth in the minds of the State BJP to safeguard the Christian faith and identity of Nagas…just a resolution is not enough.” In a press note today, the NPCC President, K Therie said that if the state unit of the party is serious about their commitment towards the Christian faith, it should “join secular front to fight the nuisance designs of RSS and BJP.” “For the first time we have heard that the State BJP is coming to some sense hearing the cry of the people,” it said, while adding that “we cannot underestimate RSS, the guardian of BJP, for no war is greater than an ideological war.” “It all began in 1925 with the objective to have a Hindu Nation with racial purity rule as their philosophy. It has 6million volunteers deeply trained and 6,000 schools educating RSS ideology. BJP workers are all hardcore RSS. No BJP General Secretary is married so that they can
devote full time. They always plan long term programmes. The RSS think-tank is one of the longest serving think-tanks planning against the principles of secularism,” the NPCC alleged. “To demean and forget Christian holy days like Christmas Day, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, the BJP Government has declared them as official functioning days. Hindi and Sanskrit is compulsory in schools. There is a proposal to read the Bhagwat Gita as the National Book. These programs and changes are long term programmes in just three years of BJP,” the NPCC stated. Warning that “the danger is near and real,” the Congress claimed that “when they get majority in the Rajya Sabha and in the number of States, they will force the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) where Special Provisions under Art. 370 and 371(A), (B), (C), etc., will become dormant.” On that day, it cautioned “we will lose our identity.” The UCC, it claimed, would “mean to RSS a Hindu Nation, Hindu religion, one personal law and one tax.”
our Correspondent Kohima | April 30
In 2015-16 the revenue collection of the Nagaland State Power Department increased to Rs. 112.73 crores in 2015-16 from Rs. 99.35 crore, indicating an increase of 13.47 crore over the previous year. However, taking into account the expenditure of Rs. 249.07 crore in 201516 incurred in power purchase, the revenue collection accounted for 45.27 per cent of the expenditure, according to Nagaland Economic Survey 2016-17 tabled in the recent state assembly session here by Parliamentary Secretary
for Economics & Statistics, Tovihoto Ayemi. The survey report added that the average power purchase rate of power is Rs. 3.24 per unit while the average rate of sale is Rs.4.62 per unit. The operating deficit corresponding to the revenue receipt is due to extensive rural electrification for low density load with long transmission network accounting for high transmission losses, leading to loss of revenue and increase in the rate of power purchase without improving the operating efficiency. This widened the gap between revenue and expenditure. And Nagaland being a
welfare state, tariff is structured according to affordability of the consumer. Therefore, despite increase in expenditure, on account of low tariff for certain section of the population, revenue collection is low. The survey report also stated that billing efficiency percentage was 63 per cent in 2009-10 but over the years there has been a fluctuating trend and during 2015-16 it came down to 55 per cent. Collection efficiency has also decreased over the years from 94 per cent in 2009-10 to 58 per cent in 2015-16. To improve efficiency in the collection of revenue
and to facilitate consumers in payment of their electricity bills, online payment facility were introduced in the towns of Dimapur, Kohima and Chumukedima during 2016-17 under the Restructured Accelerated Power Department & Reforms Program project. In 2017, seven more towns are targeted to be covered with this facility. The State Power Department caters to approximately 2.43 lakh consumers of which domestic category consumers constitute almost 80 per cent. Agriculture and irrigation consumption is categorized as lowest with consumption of only 1 per cent.
Regional satraps keen on a consensus candidate to occupy President’s post
New Delhi, April 30 (iANS): With the countdown to the battle for Raisina Hill having already The Morung Express started, leaders of “secuPoll QuEsTion lar” parties are making a beeline to 10, Janpath, to Vote on www.morungexpress.com discuss ways to counter sMs your answer to 9862574165 the Modi-Shah juggernaut Does the Nagaland through a consensus cangovernment need to didate for India’s top coninitiate an honest and stitutional post when Presopen review of the ident Pranab Mukherjee’s Prohibition Act with all stakeholders? Why? term ends in July. The parleys are still in a preliminary stage and it Yes no others is too early for anyone to Do you feel that the pinpoint a candidate, but overall performance of according to informed civil servants in Nagaland sources the regional paris improving? Why? ties are keen on a candidate Yes 29% from among them, instead no 49% of from the Congress. 22% others Earlier this week, NaDetails on page 7 tionalist Congress Party
(NCP) chief Sharad Pawar called on Congress President Sonia Gandhi to discuss a joint opposition candidate for the presidential election. Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United (JD-U) PresidentNitishKumar,JD-U leader Sharad Yadav, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D. Raja and Communist Party of India- Marxist (CPI-M) leader Sitaram Yechury have all met Gandhi. In fact, it all started after Nitish Kumar met Sonia Gandhi last week and asked her to take the lead in identifying a consensus candidate for the Presidential elections, which need to be held before July 25, the day when Mukherjee’s term expires.
“There is no other way out (but finding a common candidate). India’s Constitution is in danger, its Preamble’s ideals are being attacked. If a Sangh Parivar member becomes India’s Constitutional head, the Constitution itself will likely be reviewed, which will not be good for Indian democracy,” JD-U Spokesman K.C. Tyagi told IANS. He said parties may reach a consensus by the end of May. They would, of course, not open their cards at this stage, though a few names including those of Sharad Pawar and Sharad Yadav are alreay doing the
rounds. “Soniaji telephoned me and I went to meet her. We discussed putting up a common candidate for Presidential elections. But
regional satraps with the Congress’ knack of playing big brother in all situations. “The problem is wherever the Congress is big it is not willing to take the smaller parties along. And in the places where it is small, it seeks the lion’s share from the bigger parties,” a senior leader of a big regional party who did not wish to be named told IANS. Citing a recent example, the leader said that in the Karnataka by-elections recently the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) helped the Congress by not fielding candidates and the Congress candidates won. “But the Congress said it has won on its own. It re-
Regional parties to discuss strategy on non Congress candidate no names were discussed,” Raja told IANS. “The candidate has to be a consensus candidate,” he added. However, cobbling a grand alliance -- for the immediate challenge of Presidential elections and for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls -- will not be easy given the disenchantment of some
fused to acknowledge the help it got from the JD-S,” he added. “Some secular parties are maintaining a false arrogance. Until they touch down with practicality and reality, it will not be easy to defeat the BJP,” another opposition leader said. However, Raja said: “I don’t know what others say about the Congress because all said and done, the Congress is the largest opposition party and so it should take the lead.” But he added in the same breath that the Congress cannot unilaterally decide the presidential candidate. Add to this enchantment the ambition of some of the regional satraps who at the fag end of their ca-
reers are wishing to enjoy a leisurely sunset sitting in the sprawling lawns of the majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan, and you know they are in no mood to listen to the terms of engagement to be dictated by the big brother. Also, the fight is close, with scales not tilting clearly to any one side. “It will be an interesting contest. Including all non-NDA parties, we have around 35,000 more votes as compared to NDA, but there would be disruptions (tor-phor). Amit Shah and Modi are expert in torphor,” Tyagi said. “We want to fight this election as the saviours of the Constitution and the idea of India versus the vidhvansak (destroyer),” he said.