November 6th, 2015

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www.morungexpress.com

FriDAY • November 06 • 2015

DIMAPUR • Vol. X • Issue 302 • 12 PAGes • 4

T H e

ESTD. 2005

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T R u T H

When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps — Confucius Myanmar: Ousted ruling party head to work with Suu Kyi PAGe 9

Formidable Bayern crush Arsenal

National Seminar on Racism at CTC PAGe 2

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nagaland oil impasse—Mon raises similar issues as Wokha Morung Express News Dimapur | November 5

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Russian artist Maria Gasanova (L) works on her “The Alive Painting” art work during the Art Krasnoyarsk annual festival in Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia November 4, 2015. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin

reflections

By Sandemo Ngullie

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‘60 cr meant for nPPc ltd diverted to unknown sectors’

moKoKChUNG, November 5 (mexN): The Ao Senden held meetings on November 4 with the CEO of the Tuli Area Joint Council and the Workers Union NPPC Ltd with regard to the revival and present functioning of the Nagaland Pulp & Paper Company Ltd. Tuli (NPPC Ltd). The Ao Senden, in a press note informed that out of phase-wise sanction of Rs 100 Crore for the revival of NPPC Ltd, only Rs 40 Crore is being utilised. It informed that Rs 60 Crore has been diverted to “unknown sector and the officials at NPPC Ltd have no knowlSir...sir, can you please edge about its utilisation.” This diversion, the

Ao Senden said “hampers the rehabilitation process of NPPC Ltd,” and called for a thorough inquiry into the matter. The meeting also discussed the need for immediate deputation of a Managing Director for the NPPC Ltd, as it has been running without an MD since its inception. It then called for the setting up of a separate bank account for the NPPC Ltd for “transparency in the financial transactions.” The Ao Senden has assured to appeal to the Government of India, Hindustan Paper Corporation (HPC), Nagaland State Government, and stake-holders for the successful revival of NPPC Ltd.

The Lotha Hoho may have raised contentions over the Nagaland Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules & Regulations (NPNGR&R) 2012, but they are not alone. The Konyak Union (KU) has now opened up about the rectifications it had proposed to the Government of Nagaland which were never considered either. But before suggesting these changes, the KU had given a ‘No Objection Certificate’ to the chairperson of the Nagaland Petroleum and Natural Gas (NPNG) Board on behalf of the village councils and landowners of the oil belt areas of Mon district. The NOC, given on October 9, 2013, was “purely” for ‘pre-production operations (survey)’ of petroleum and natural gas in the Mon district, which had already been classified by the Government of Nagaland as one of the 11 oil bearing blocks within Nagaland State that were being contracted to oil companies. The survey was agreed to by the people as petroleum and natural gas reserves are not clearly known to the apex bodies, village councils and landowners. The Eastern Naga Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO), in 2012, had “rejected” the NPNGR&R and barred any exploitation of oil and natural gas or any other mineral deposits within the ENPO jurisdiction. The Morung Express has confirmed that the Assam Company India Limited was chosen by the

Government of Nagaland and granted a pre-production operation permit in 2014, presumably at a fee of Rs. 1 crore (as per the NPNG Rules 2012) for the Mon Zone. A copy of this permit could not be obtained. It was, however, confirmed that no work was done by the Company in this time and the permit period has now expired. “The permit will have to be cancelled,” said a senior official of the State Government working closely on the issue.

Rectifications and objections On October 14, 2013, the Konyak Union submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister of Nagaland, who is also the chairperson of the Ministerial Group of the NPNG Board. It stated explicitly that if the KU was tasked with obtaining NOCs from landowners on behalf of the Government, then “equity and justice has to be maintained by protecting and ensuring the rights, privileges and interests of all concerned, particularly the local landowners.” In the light of this, the KU, following a consultative meet with local stakeholders, arrived at and suggested a “review of the provisions” of the NPNGR&R 2012. Among others, it asked for future revenue shares to be given directly to either the landowners or tribal unions instead of routing it through the Government. They also pitched for the District Planning and Development Board’s share to be drawn from the Gov-

ernment’s revenue share (since both are Government bodies), and that ‘tribal unions/Hohos’ be earmarked a part of the revenue as district share so these bodies may plan appropriate development for the districts. Any “additional royalties,” noted the KU in its memorandum, should be credited to landowners to compensate their loss of livelihood and destruction of environment. As per the revenue-sharing terms of the NPNGR&R, for every Rs. 100 of crude oil produced, the mining company will give Rs. 16 to Nagaland State. Of this, the State will keep Rs. 8 and pass on Rs. 2 to landowners. The District Planning and Development Board will get Rs. 2 and the remaining Rs. 4 will go to the community. The memorandum points were reiterated at a meeting with Government officials in early 2014, said the general secretary of KU to The Morung Express. “Our interest was not against the State Government but to rectify the NPNGR&R 2012,” he stated. Again, the Government took no action. As regards the NOC they had previously issued, the KU found out about the company only after the permit had been given out by the NPNG Board. “We ran our own checks and found that there were problems in the company. They were neither competitive nor clean,” said the Konyak leader. So what did they do? “We objected! We want a reliable company to come to our region,” he asserted.

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show me where the exit is?

School Edu dept urge Hindi teachers to call off agitation

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Kohima, November 5 (mexN): The Department of School Education has reiterated their request for the CSS Hindi Teachers to call off their agitation in view of the forthcoming exams, “as it is confirmed that the MHRD, GOI, will be releasing fund for their pending pay within this week.” Stating this in a release, Additional Director (HOD) Senthang informed the CSS Hindi teachers that the Department will be releasing the same on receipt of the fund from the GOI without further delay. However, since release of central fund has to undergo certain mandatory procedures till it is credited to the state’s account, the tolerance of the teachers is called for, the release added. It asked the CSS Hindi Teachers to be aware of the fact that the Department had taken all efforts to have their salary released at every level, right from the Ministerial level down to the section dealing with their salary. The Department also stated that while empathizing with the situation of the teachers, “would also like to remind the teachers that their association is in contravention to the State Government’s Order issued vide P & AR OM No. AR-8/8/79 dated 1st April 2014, and therefore is liable to be reproved as per the provisions given under The Nagaland Servant Conduct Rules, 1968.” Considering the welfare of the students as paramount and in view of the reasons, it requested the CSS Hindi teachers to call off the agitation “lest the Department be forced to impose punitive measures that may be made effective as stipulated under existing rules.”

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Work towards permanent Graft case: Court asks CBI to verify death of two accused settlement: Neiphiu Rio

Kohima, November 5 (DiPr): MP for Nagaland state to the Lok Sabha, Neiphiu Rio has called upon leaders of the IndoMyanmar border areas to take initiative towards finding a permanent settlement for the Nagas of Myanmar and India. During a visit to the border village of Longwa, the former Nagaland state Chief Minister also appealed to the NSCN (K) to come to the negotiating table, so as to facilitate development of the region and towards finding a permanent solution through peace and reconciliation. Rio held public meetings with the leaders and elders of Longwa village on November 4 and adopted the village under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) Scheme. He informed that the purpose of his visit was to develop good partnership with the people and to help convergence of various departments to work for the growth and economic development of Longwa. He exhorted the people to utilize the given opportunity with sincerity and responsibility, and become a selfreliant model village. He further stated that the success of the SAGY scheme would depend on the response of the people. Rio stated that Longwa is an attractive tourist spot owing to its unique history and location, with Angh’s residence situated at the middle of the international border between India and Myanmar. He further said that exposure of Naga culture and building good relationship with Myanmar lies with the people of Longwa. Rio proposed renovation of the guest house, construction of a museum, and

renovation of the Angh’s residence for the current year. He also emphasized on sanitation and cleanliness to attract tourists. Rio also informed that during his tenure as Chief Minister he had initiated various measures to recognize the Naga people of Burma and for them to be included under the redrafting of the Constitution of Myanmar in 2008 through the Burmese Ambassador in Delhi and other tribal leaders. He pointed out that these measures had resulted in the creation of the Naga Self Autonomous Government in Myanmar. Since then various developments have been initiated in the Naga inhabited land in Myanmar and construction of connectivity roads is being carried out in the border areas with the assistance of the Indian Government, he stated. Longwa is the second largest village under RD block Phomching with total population of 5673 and 742 tax paying households. It is situated at 40 Kms away from the district headquarter with Burma on the east and Arunachal Pradesh on the north. Longwa is a village well known for handicrafts. Majority of the people are engaged in agriculture, with around 519 households involved in cultivation of cardamom. The literacy rate of the village is very low with 14 % as per 2011 census. It has three schools with one GPS, One GMS and a private school. The main objective of the SAGY scheme is development of model villages through the implementation of the existing schemes, creating models of local development which can be replicated in the other village.

NeW DeLhi, November 5 (PTi): A special court has asked CBI to verify whether two of the five persons it summoned as accused in a graft case in which ex-Union minister P K Thungon was awarded a four-and-a-half-year jail term have died. Special judge Ajay Kumar Jain had summoned five persons as accused on July 21 while convicting Thungon and three others in a cheating and corruption case lodged by CBI 17 years back. These five per-

sons were scheduled to appear before the court yesterday and the judge was informed by the prosecutor that two of the five accused, Neilakuo Suokhrie and Khrienguozo Angami, were reported to have expired. “Investigating officer is directed to verify the death of accused Neilakuo Suokhrie and Khrienguozo Angami and submit the death verification report of accused persons on next date of hearing,” the judge noted in his order. Meanwhile, the court

was also informed that the Delhi High Court has stayed its order summoning two accused, K Konngam Konyak, the then minister of state in Nagaland for irrigation and flood control, and Mezakrol in the case. During the hearing, the counsel for one of the accused, Bendang Wapang, appeared before the court and filed a plea seeking exemption from personal appearance for his client. The court allowed his plea for the day only.

The court has now fixed the matter for further hearing on March 8. All these five accused were not charge sheeted by CBI in the case, in which Thungon and three others were convicted and sentenced by the court, due to want of sanction to prosecute them and also on the ground that no prosecutable evidence was found against them. However, while convicting Thungon and three others, the court had summoned these five persons

as accused. 69-year-old Thungon and three others were sentenced for offences under sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy) read with 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of IPC and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The three other convicts were Tali AO, C Sangit and Mahesh Maheshwari.

More writers & filmmakers return National Awards over ‘intolerance’ mUmbai, November 5 (iaNS): In a collective move to draw the government’s attention to their fears that the country’s “robust democracy might be coming apart”, 24 filmmakers and writers, including Arundhati Roy, Saeed Mirza and Kundan Shah, on Thursday returned their national awards. Countering this, veteran actor Anupam Kher has decided to lead a march against such protests. The 24 celebrities hoped their “symbolic gesture” persuades the government “to pay attention to our fears that the warp and weft of our robust democracy might be coming apart in the current atmosphere”. Besides Roy, Mirza and Shah, others who returned their awards on Thursday were Virendra Saini, Ranjan Palit, Tapan Bose, Shriprakash, Sanjay Kak, Pradip Krishan, Tarun Bhartiya, Amitabh Chakraborty, Madhusree Dutta, Anwar Jamal, Ajay Raina, Irene Dhar Malik, P.M. Satheesh, Satya Rai

Some of the filmmakers and writers who returned their national awards on Thursday to protest growing ‘intolerance’ in the country. (PTI Photo)

Nagpaul, Manoj Lobo, Rafiq Ellias, Sudheer Palsane, Vivek Sachidanand, Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti, Manoj Nitharwal and Abhimanyu Dange. These were also among the 190 signatories to the letter to the government to pay heed to the “reasonable” demands of the FTII students, who ended their strike after a “protracted struggle of four months”. A statement released to the media on Thursday stressed that this is their way to protest the government’s handling of the FTII issue. The 24 signatories point-

ed out their disappointment at “how the ruling party’s leaders and supporters abused” the 12 filmmakers who returned their national honours earlier, and “belittled their gesture”. “This has been the consistent response of the powers that be towards the writers, academics, scientists, historians, filmmakers and artists, who have expressed their dismay over the increasing climate of intolerance,” the statement read. As “concerned citizens of the country whose work has been recognised by the

government of India”, they have said that by returning their honours, they are “not rejecting the recognition” and neither are they “belittling the honour”. “We are using the one possibility of making you (the government) pay attention to our plea, resolve the crisis at FTII, ensure that our prestigious right to Freedom of Speech is unambiguosly protected,” they said. In an article published in the Indian Express, “The God of Small Things” author Arundhati Roy said she was returning her 1989 National Award for Best Screenplay to

protest “ideological viciousness” in the country. She said she was not shocked by what was happening in the nation, and termed the lynching of a man over beefeating rumour in Dadri in Uttar Pradesh as a “deeper malaise”. “These horrific murders are only a symptom of a deeper malaise. Life is hell for the living too. Whole populations - millions of Dalits, adivasis, Muslims and Christians are being forced to live in terror, unsure of when and from where the assault will come,” she said. After the Dadri incident, over 40 writers, artistes and 10 filmmakers have returned their awards to record their protest over the rising incidents of intolerance in the country. On Saturday, actor and BJP supporter Anupam Kher has invited all Indians to march with him to Rashtrapati Bhavan to protest the voices that are being raised over “intolerance” in the country.

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