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www.morungexpress.com
friDAY • November 20 • 2015
DIMAPUR • Vol. X • Issue 316 • 12 PAGes • 4
T H e
ESTD. 2005
Wisdom is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it Suspected mastermind of Paris attacks killed in raid PAGe 9
reflections
By Sandemo Ngullie
And the prize money? is it local tax free?
The Morung Express Poll QuEsTion
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Vote on www.morungexpress.com SMS your anSwer to 9862574165 Rather than taking honest responsibility for failures and challenges are Nagas hiding behind the cloak of religion? Yes
no
others
Nov 15: GPRN/NSCN express displeasure Morung Express news Dimapur | November 19
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GPRN/NSCN MIP Kilonser, N. Metha on Thursday expressed displeasure with the Assam Rifles with regard to the November 15 incident at Leongkanger near Shamatore under Tuensang district where four persons were killed. He said one of the persons killed belonged to GPRN/ NSCN and was in the rank of a ‘Sergeant Major.’ “After his (Sgt Maj) arrest, he identified himself as a cadre of GPRN/NSCN but instead of handing him over to the police, the AR killed him violating the ceasefire ground rules,” Metha said. “So we are not very much happy with the activities of the Assam Rifles,” he said and added that such atrocities committed by the security forces should be made known to the public.
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T R u T H
— David Starr Jordan
Let us have unity first and then solution: Nuklutoshi
Decision on Indo-Pak series soon, says BCCI
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PAGe 12
AR order to newspapers Nagaland govt working pernicious: Editors Guild on new recruitment policy
NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 19 (PTI): The Editors Guild of India today voiced concern over a recent order of the Assam Rifles to newspapers, saying it could “severely curtail freedom of Nagalandbased media houses” and asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to intervene. Terming as “pernicious” the order by Assam Rifles, which had “warned” newspapers against carrying statements by militant groups, especially National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang), since it had been declared a terrorist organisation by Centre, the Guild said it supports newspapers which demonstrated their unwillingness to follow it. Any restrictions on coverage of legitimate news or efforts to silence the media is an assault on freedom of media which the Editors Guild condemns, it added. It is “reprehensible” that the Assam Rifles sought to “censor” the newspapers by threatening to punish them under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967, if they violated the order, the Guild statement signed by its President Raj Chengappa, General
Press council seeks response from Assam Rifles over notice NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 19 (PTI): Taking suo motu action regarding a controversial notice issued to media houses by Assam Rifles, the Press Council of India (PCI) has sought to know reasons and necessity behind the move which it said appeared prima facie as having an adverse bearing on the freedom of press. The PCI has also sought the Nagaland Chief Secretary’s report in the matter. In a statement released here, the PCI said that it has moved suo motu regarding notice dated October 25, 2015 issued by Assam Rifles to Nagaland Media under “Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967” having prima facie an adverse bearing on the freedom of press. “Press Council’s chairman, Justice Chandramauli Kumar Prasad, initiating suo motu action in the matter, has called upon the Director General, Assam Rifles to furnish the reason, circumstance and necessity of issuing the aforesaid notice. Chief Secretary, Nagaland’s report in the issue too has been urgently sought,” the statement said. Secretary Prakash Dubey and Treasurer Seema Mustafa said. The senior journalists, in the statement, added that it is common knowledge that in newspapers being published in zones having unresolved issues and conflict, there are many views and opinions that are expressed. “While everyone appreciates that police has a role to play in mainte-
nance of law and order, it is important for newspapers in the spirit of fairness and objectivity to report divergent opinions after due diligence and with responsibility,” the Guild said. It urged the Home Minister to intervene and lift the order in the interest of press freedom. “The Guild views positively the offer of Nagaland media houses to work
with the democratically elected Government of Nagaland on issues that would enable the media to function freely and address any objections in a peaceful and constructive manner,” the statement said. Yesterday, the Assam Rifles had denied that it had issued any “gag order” to the media and that at no stage had the media been asked to dilute their free reporting. In a statement issued in Kohima, it had, however, said Assam Rifles had written the letter to the editors of five media houses of Nagaland on October 24 highlighting the fact that NSCN(K) has been notified as an unlawful association under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967 by MHA and amplified some of the clauses of the Gazette Notification which have its own legal implications.” Publishing an “extortion notice” of a “banned organisation” against business establishments is akin to abetting the “banned organisation” in collection of funds which will be used to carry out subversive activities against government agencies and security forces, IGAR(N) said.
Foothill Road to be renamed as Nagaland Express Highway MOkOkcHUNg, NOVEMBER 19 (MExN): Minister for National Highways, Mechanical & Election, Nuklutoshi today declared that the Foothill Road will be renamed as Nagaland Express Highway. Addressing the GBs and others at the general session of the Nagaland GB Federation at Town Hall, Mokokchung on Thursday, the Minister stated that all the state highways in Nagaland have been declared as National Highways, and even the central government has approved of it. So far, eight
highways in Nagaland (covering all over Nagaland) have been declared as National Highways, informed Nuklutoshi. In this regard, he said that the ‘Foothill Road’ project will be declared as Nagaland Express Highway which will make commuters from Tizit to Dimapur to take a journey of one and half hours; and from Mokokchung to Dimapur, one hour. He said that tunnels will be made, and bridges constructed to make an expressway using foreign technology.
However, he stated that the biggest problem is land acquisition. He further said that the Government of India had sanctioned Rs 17,000 crore for the road construction in Nagaland; with Rs 10,000 crore to be spent within the next years. However, the central government sanction does not cover land acquisition; and the state government cannot acquire or compensate the land acquisition. Therefore, the landowners should donate the lands, the Minister said. “Give me land and I will
give you good roads as never seen in Nagaland,” said the Minister. He said that demanding land without donating land is not logical. In this regard, he urged the GBs to go back to their villages and educate the land owners to donate lands so that the dream of having good roads and highways in Nagaland can be a reality. He also urged the people to give him a chance to show his commitment, give him support, and donate land, so that the best roads can be constructed in Nagaland.
DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 19 (MExN): In the backdrop of allegations of numerous backdoor appointments in the Nagaland State government departments, Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang disclosed on Thursday that the government is working on a new recruitment policy whereby recruitment to various government departments is not only fair and transparent but also judicious. Interacting with a delegation of the Chakhesang Students’ Union (CSU) on Thursday at his residential office, the chief minister said his government was determined to check the anomalies in recruitment policies which of late, have been raised by several NGOs and individuals. “The education department which is attributed with almost 24% of the total salary component of the State government has now started on a drive to check excess appointments made in the previous years. The department has decided not to appoint new recruits even after someone retires so that eventually, the excess appointees are adjusted within the sanctioned purview,” Zeliang maintained. According to a press statement from media cell, CMO, representatives of CSU conveyed to the chief minister that they expect a system where everyone is given the opportunity to get employment and not only a selected few who have connections with people in the corridors of power. “Not everyone is the child of a VIP or has political connections and it is not fair that only a few are given opportunities to get government employment. Equal opportunity should be given to everyone. We are not talking of recruit eligible candidates, we are talking of recruiting the best among the eligible candidates,” the student leaders were learnt to have said as per the CMO statement. To this, the chief minster responded that he too was “for transparent, free and fair recruitment to
the vacancies.” “I have personally witnessed recruitment to the Army/ Assam Rifles on several occasions and I have noticed that everything was done in a transparent manner. The same should be applied even to our Police recruitments and I have discussed this with my colleagues on several occasions,” he told the student leaders.
Not every appointment is backdoor
On backdoor appointment allegations, the chief minister claimed that not every appointment can be pointed out as backdoor since due process as required by the rules is followed. He maintained that regularisations of services are done according to the followed rules and guidelines as laid down by the government. A committee headed by the Chief Secretary has been set up to verify the number of vacancies and also the number of recruitment done so as to ensure that the Cabinet decision to fill up only 50% of the vacancies is followed strictly,” the chief minister also informed.
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Improper to take backdoor issue to court
On the issue of taking matter of backdoor appointment to court, Zeliang opined that it may not prove to be very proper. “...Since the other day, when the ACAUT took the issue to court, the court had decided to refer the matter to the Union Government and this may take a long, long time to settle the matter,” he maintained. The government is alive to the opinions raised by so many wellmeaning organisations and is doing its best to rectify any wrong-doing that is detected, the chief minister asserted. In the meantime, the chief minister appealed all to be a little more patient, give the government time to look into the matter and take corrective measures so justice can be delivered.
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Armed cadres threaten Commissioner & Secretary Morung Express news Dimapur | November 19
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In an impudent act against a senior government officer, armed cadres belonging to a Naga political group threatened the Commissioner & Secretary, Department of Veterinary & Animal Husbandry, LH Thangi Manen on November 18 morning after intruding into her official residence in Kohima. The cadres, numbering four of them, and reportedly led by one ‘kilonser’ audaciously entered the official residence of the lady officer by scaling the wall and demanded that she revoke the transfer of one veterinary doctor under the Directorate of Veterinary & AH. Speaking to The Morung Express, the Commissioner & Secretary, Thangi Manen confirmed the incident. She said one of the cadres even took out a gun and pointed at her saying ‘koda nemani’ (she isn’t agreeing) when she stood her ground and told them that it was a directorate decision and a government policy of transfer and posting of government servant. According to the Commissioner & Secretary, this was the third time that she was being pestered on the transfer issue. The veterinary doctor in question was transferred as per gov-
ernment service conduct rules applicable in all department of Nagaland. “This is pure harassment of a lady officer. I even told them that such intrusion was highly uncalled for and that they should come to office for any matter instead,” Thangi revealed. And when she told them that their demand was impossible since this will set a chain reaction on the affairs of the transfer and posting of government servants, one of the cadres took out a gun and threatened her. Meanwhile, the Directorate of Veterinary & Animal Husbandry condemned the action meted on Commissioner & Secretary, Thangi Manen, one of the senior most officers of the Government of Nagaland. It stated that certain armed persons intruded and intimidated the officer, forcing her to revoke the transfer of one veterinary doctor under the Directorate of veterinary & AH. “The transfer and posting of government servant is a normal procedure under the government service conduct rules in all department of Nagaland. Therefore no outside force should interfere in such manner in future,” the press note stated.
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