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tuesDAY • November 29• 2016
DIMAPUR • Vol. XI • Issue 328 • 12 PAGes • 5
T H e
ESTD. 2005
P o W e R
It is no use saying, ‘We are doing our best.’ You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary Thousands uprooted in east Aleppo as Syrian army advances PAGE 09
Restore SVC to its original status in line with Court order: NTC urges CS
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T R u T H
— Winston Churchill
Ashwin’s three strikes put England on backfoot
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‘Towards making Nagaland the Nagaland: Banks hardpressed for cash again next IT hub in Southeast Asia’ Morung Express News Dimapur | November 28
2nd e-Naga Summit 2016 underway Our Correspondent Kohima | November 28
Experts from different background with college students in large attendance today converged here at Indira Gandhi Stadium for the 2nd e-Naga Summit 2016 and put forward their agendas/ opinions ‘Towards making the state of Nagaland the next IT hub in Southeast Asia.’ e-Naga Summit envisions to embark on a process to install the spirit of innovation and use of technology for impacting positive change in the society with target audience comprising of students entrepreneurs, NGOs, Governmental departments and industry processionals. The Summit touches on the role of lawmakers in promoting IT and e-Governance, media as an enabler in promoting IT and e-Governance, civil societies and students for promoting IT and eGovernance, etc. The summit will continue till November 29. Gov suggest electronic tendering system to avoid manipulation Addressing the inaugural function, Nagaland Governor PB Acharya said Nagaland need to initiate some basic important changes using IT & C tools. His suggestion include adoption of electronic tendering system as
reflections
By Sandemo Ngullie
Governor PB Acharya and others at the e-Naga Summit in Kohima on November 28. (Morung Photo)
state policy to avoid table tender and other possible ways of manipulation, online payment of salaries of employees to weed out bogus employees, direct beneficiary transfer system through personal bank account so that genuine citizens get their benefits in time, online system of revenue collection to eliminate brokers etc. The Governor said there are endless ways to utilize information and communication technologies to provide efficient and transparent solutions to citizens. At micro level, information and communication technologies can be used in individual departments for handling workflow systems, access to entitlements, public grievance systems, service delivery system such as payment
of bills, tax information, provision of market information etc. Acharya said every state government must take initiatives to use Information and Communication Technologies(ICT) to improve IT literacy, create awareness of the benefits of e-governance, improve coordination among various Departments, promote Government process re- engineering, create vision and also incorporate best practices of other states. IT dept to transform Nagaland into modern state: Paiwang Minister for Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communication, P. Paiwang Konyak said the Department of Information Technology & Com-
munication (IT&C) is now playing a key role to transform Nagaland into a modern state by way of improving transparency, efficiency and ensuring cost effective public service delivery to the citizens. He said the state is witnessing a paradigm shift in governance and all other spheres of life and information technology and electronic media is enabling a knowledge- led economy. The minister said Nagaland is the first state in India where the state itself has taken over State Portal and State Services Delivery Gateway (SP&SSDG) core infrastructure project and now acting as the implementing agency without engaging private companies. Nagaland is also the only state in India where state IT
nPcc dubs demonetisation excercise as ‘egotistic diktat’
Rock concert, Beauty, dance & singing contests, níght baazars, drawing competitions? No thanks! We’ve decided to go to the Amazon for some real tribal life experience.
Govt says dengue cases coming down, public told not to panic
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DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 28 (MExN): With Dengue cases reportedly coming down, the Office of the Assistant Director, Urban Vector Borne Disease Control Scheme, Dimapur on Monday urged the public not to panic but co-operate with the department as and when any activity is been carried out and also destroy any mosquito breeding place by keeping indoor and outdoor clean. Assistant Director, UVBDCS, Kikolul Khieya in a press note maintained that the Urban Vector Borne Disease Scheme (NVBDCP) under CMO office Dimapur has been carrying out intensive integrated vector control measures for the containment of the Dengue outbreak. Besides distributions of large number of larvivarous fish to the public since October, larvicidal operation time has been enhanced. Entomological team is carrying out round the clock studies for decreases of Aedes Aegypti densities in various colonies and fogging team has been continuously fogging technical Malathion 50% in all the colonies, it informed.
NPCC President, K. Therie addressing the protest rally at the Naga Shopping Arcade.
Morung Express News Dimapur | Kohima, November 28
The Nagaland state Congress dubbed the demonetisation exercise as “egotistic diktat” at a rally organised in Dimapur on November 28 protesting against the Union government’s decision invalidating Rs 1000 and Rs 500 currency notes. Held concurrently with other state Congress units, the rally in Dimapur was spearheaded by the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) president, K. Therie. Addressing a public gathering at the Naga Shopping Arcade, Therie slammed the Narendra Modi-led Union government for engineering a venture without considering the fallout. According to him, it was done without proper planning and as a result, the majority of the Indian citizenry, who have no connection to ‘black money’, has been made to suffer. Slamming the cap on withdrawals, he said that the government has no right to restrict the people from using what is duly theirs and stated, “It is your hard-earned money.” In a memorandum submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, Dimapur to be forwarded to the President of India, the NPCC held that demonetisation has affected the country to the extent of nearly paralysing economic activities. While insufficient new and lower denomination notes and the cap on withdrawals have affected business, the NPCC said that the impact is felt all the more in a state like Nagaland, where rural citizens not used to the banking system have been made to suffer. “Failure to bring back black money is not the fault of commoners but the weakness of the government of the day and for the reason, the commoners should
not be punished.” The memorandum further contained a 2-point demand calling for monetisation of the Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denominations till new notes are sufficiently put into circulation and opening of banking services in the rural areas. At the state capital, the Kohima District Congress Committee (KDCC) joined the country-wide protest by rallying at the Congress Bhawan. Former Congress MLA, Medukol Sophie took a dig at the Prime Minister’s call for cashless economy pointing out that 65 percent of India’s population does not have bank account. “They (BJP) have forgotten that 34 percent of the country’s population is without proper clothes and food. They should first give food and proper clothes to the population before demonetization,” he said. Of the situation in Nagaland, he estimated that there are about a 100 banks catering on average 20,000 people per bank. However, he said that these banks are mostly located in the urban areas as against 1454 villages, while most villagers do not have bank accounts. Seyiekuolie, also a former Congress MLA maintained, “Whatever we have earned, it is our right to spend it, to deposit it and to withdraw it. They (BJP) have taken away our rights.” The KDCC also submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, Kohima addressed to the President of India. In addition to the 2-point demand of the NPCC, the KDCC added a third, calling for relaxing withdrawal limit. It termed the demonetisation decision as “visionless”, while stating that introducing the new 500 and 2000 notes without making available lower denominations notes has strangled the economy.
department is running the state data centre, Paiwang added. Banks in Nagaland are once again hard-pressed Liia hails Nagaland for top for cash of lower denomiperformer on e-Governance nations. On Monday, a Advisor to the President, Estonumber of private banks nia, Dr Liia Hanni in her speech reported that they have described e-Nagaland as a forrun out of cash, even the ward-looking strategy for Naganewly introduced high deland that aims to harness the best nomination Rs 2000 notes. from modern information and Going 20 days since the communication technology. announcement of the deShe congratulated the state of monetization move by the Nagaland for recently being recPrime Minister, citizens ognized by the Computer Society of India as the top performer on e- continue to face inconveGovernance. This is an acknowl- niences with no respite, edgement of successful start of even as banks struggle to the Nagaland’s journey towards accommodate the neverending surge of people Digital Society, she stated. She also challenged the gath- coming in to withdraw ering to identify the right steps to money. On November 24, the make Nagaland an advanced and Reserve Bank of India prosperous digital society. Nagaland Chief Secretary (RBI) remitted only 167 Pankaj Kumar said with our Eng- crore to Nagaland from the lish speaking population and the 400 crore sought by the SBI technology-savvy young genera- and the Nagaland Finance tion, Nagaland is well poised to Department. Clearly, the play a significant role in the IT amount will not last long, given the fact that it will sector. Also taking a cue from the have to feed not only the Central government, Kumar said SBI branches but also the the biometric attendance sys- private and public sector tem was introduced in the Na- banks. Further, the 157 ATMs galand Secretariat the previous in Nagaland consume not year. With citizens in Dimapur now paying their electricity bills less than 15 crore in a day. online, a facility which is being A reason why many banks extended to other towns, Kumar have begun giving only said more e-services would be in- limited amount to the customers. troduced to citizens soon.
SBI assistant manager, Regional office, Thangboi Lunkim said Nagaland may get the next installment of cash from RBI after November 30. Lunkim said he had spoken to RBI officials and was told that some money would be coming within 7 days from the printing press in Kolkota. He also said it was becoming difficult to provide money to private banks since the cash send by the RBI was not enough to accommodate even the SBI branches. “Private banks should try to make their own arrangements to get cash,” Lunkim suggested. The SBI official also stated that it has become very awkward to keep on asking for more cash with the RBI not being able to meet the demands of the banks. Not wanting to anticipate what would happen to SBI if cash was to run out, Lunkim said one can only hope that the RBI come to the rescue in time. In addition, with Hornbill festival just two days away, there is anticipation that the lack of cash in the banks and in the hands of the customer alike is sure to take a toll on the spirit of the festival.