September 27th, 2016

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C M Y K

www.morungexpress.com

TUesDAY • sepTember 27• 2016

DIMAPUR • Vol. XI • Issue 266 • 12 PAGes • 5

T H e

ESTD. 2005

P o W e R

Opposition brings concord. Out of discord comes the fairest harmony US and Russia trade blows over Syria as warplanes pound Aleppo

UNC appeals to Ao Senden, Lotha Hoho and Sumi Hoho SeNApAti, September 26 (NNN): At the backdrop of Ao Senden, Lotha Hoho and Sumi Hoho declaring disassociation from the Naga Hoho, the United Naga Council (UNC) said today that unity of the Naga people is “extremely important” at this “sensitive and crucial juncture”. “Earnestly” appealing the Sumi Hoho, the Ao Senden and the Lotha Hoho to “reconsider” their decisions on disassociation from the Naga Hoho, UNC President Gaidon Kamei said that to give room for sorting out differences or misunderstandings “within” will be in the best interest of the “collective future” of the Naga people at this juncture. “Let us put unity above everything else at this sensitive and crucial juncture,” appealed the UNC President.

Nagaland Spelling Bee championship re-scheduled KOhimA, September 26 (mexN): The Fountain Club today informed that the 5th Nagaland Spelling Bee Championship 2016 has been re-scheduled to October 7 and 8. The last date of submission of entry form has also been extended to September 30. The event will take place at Capital Convention Centre, Kohima. The champion will fetch a cash prize of Rs. 60,000 while the 2nd, 3rd and 4th place winners will get Rs. 40,000, Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 15, 000 respectively. Quarter finalists will receive Rs. 5000 each.

The Morung Express Poll QuEsTion

Vote on www.morungexpress.com sMs your answer to 9862574165 Will the present crisis within Naga Hoho affect the Naga progress towards it political and historical rights? Why? Yes

no

others

Public Information

All press statements, memorandums, articles, reports and news related documents should be sent to the official email address:

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Press releases will be accepted only till 8:00 pm Editor, The Morung Express

T R u T H

— Heraclitus

India thump New Zealand to celebrate 500th test

Drivers resolve to ‘weed out corruption’

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Blood and water cannot Nagaland working to flow together: PM Modi promote rural tourism

Govt reviews 56-year old Indus Water Treaty

New Delhi, September 26 (pti) “Blood and water cannot flow together,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today as he chaired a review meeting of 56-year-old Indus Water Treaty during which it was decided that India will “exploit to the maximum” the water of Pakistan-controlled rivers, including Jhelum, as per the water sharing pact. Held amidst heightened tension between the India and Pakistan, the meeting also decided to set up a inter- ministerial task forces to go into the details and working of the Treaty with a “sense of urgency”, senior government sources said. Attended by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, the Water Resources Secretary, and senior PMO officials, the meeting also noted that

the meeting of Indus Water Commission can “only take place in atmosphere free of terror”. The Commission has held 112 meetings so far. “Prime Ministers Modis message at the meeting was that rakt aur paani ek saath nahin beh sakta (blood and water cannot flow together),” sources said. Apart from deciding to exploit to the maximum the capacity of three of the rivers that are under Pakistans control - Indus, Chenab and Jhelum-- in the areas of hydro power,

irrigation and storage, the meeting also agreed to review the “unilateral suspension” of Tulbul navigation project in 1987. The sources asserted that the decision to maximise the water resources for irrigation will address the “pre-existing” sentiment of people of Jammu and Kashmir, who have complained in the past about the treaty not being fair to them. The meeting came as India weighed its options to hit back at Pakistan in the aftermath of the Uri attack that left 18 soldiers

Dimapur civil bodies against govt’s move to lease out tax, tolls & fees

DimApur, September 26 (mexN): Several civil society organizations today issued astatementagainstthenotification from the Municipal Affairs Department to lease out tax, tolls and fees in Dimapur from the month of October 2016. A press note from the Naga Council Dimapur, Dimapur Urban Council Chairmen Federation, Dimapur Chamber of Commerce & Industry, GB’s Union Dimapur, Dimapur Naga Students’ Union, Business Association of Nagas, Muslim Council Dimapur and the Bengali Samaj Dimapur said that ever since the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) was allowed to collect toll taxes, “Dimapur town has been seeing huge developmental activities like construction of roads, dustbins, bridges, box culverts and drains.” It claimed that the “public is in deep appreciation towards such developments and continues to provide unstinted support and cooperation to the DMC since there has not been any financial ir-

regularities and the amount collected through toll taxes are being utilized in a transparent manner.” “At a time, when more developmental activities are being undertaken on a war footing for which the public is the witness, the government’s move to lease out toll taxes is being viewed as anti-people and anti-development policy,” the note stated. It affirmed that the organizations would “not allow such defective policy to be implemented in Dimapur at any cost.” “The civil societies and public shall fight tooth and nail to oppose the implementation of the stated government notification as it is totally against the welfare of the people,” it said. It further cautioned that “any leasee will not be allowed to collect toll taxes and that they would be inviting unnecessary and preventable problems. Any leasee would be collecting toll taxes at their own risk since the public would rise to the issue.”

dead, triggering demands that the government scrap the water distribution pact to mount pressure on that country. Under the treaty, which was signed by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President Ayub Khan in September 1960, water of six rivers - Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum - were to be shared between the two countries. Pakistan has been complaining about not receiving enough water and gone for international arbitration in a couple of cases.

Govt declares Sept 28 as restricted holiday for Konyak Lao-Ong Mo KOhimA, September 26 (Dipr/mexN): The Home Department, General Administration Branch-II, in a notification, has declared September 28 as Restricted Holiday for the Konyak tribe on account of the Lao-Ong Mo festival. The Konyak Union declared September 28 and 29 as the official dates for celebration of the Konyak Lao-Ong Mo festival and further appealed and directed all the units of the Konyak Union to observe the harvest festival in accordance with norms and thanksgiving. Further, in a press release, the Konyak Union has directed all Konyak employees within the State of Nagaland to abstain from attending offices on September 28. It has also appealed to all departmental heads to consider such cases on account of the Konyak harvest festival of Lao-ong Mo. Detailed reports on Page 5

KOhimA, September 26 (pti): In a bid to encourage rural tourism, the Nagaland government is working on programmes to spread awareness in the interior areas for implementing centrallysponsored schemes ‘Swadesh Darshan’ and ‘PRASAD’, an official said on Monday. Nagaland and the northeast have immense potential in rural tourism and therefore the state government through the department of tourism is chalking out programmes to spread awareness in the interior areas by implementing the central programmes, Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, C Apok Jamir said while interacting with media persons on the sidelines of the department’s Logo competition here. Swadesh Darshan is an integrated development of Theme Based Tourist Circuits, while PRASAD is National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive. “We are embarking on the mission to make Nagaland and the northeast region in general a tourist destination for the rest of the world,” Jamir said, adding that through such initiatives, the department is working towards opening the gates for the people to explore and experience the culture and tradition of the Nagas in the 11 districts. He expressed hope that promoting tourism activities will generate employment in the state and also project the vibrancy of the region to the world.

Almost all hotels in Kohima booked for Hornbill Festival Our Correspondent With barely 2 months left for Hornbill Festival of Nagaland, almost all the hotels in Kohima have been already booked, according to official sources. The Hornbill

festival is an annual affair to encourage inter-tribe interaction and to promote cultural heritage of Nagaland. It takes place in the first week of December every year since its inception in 2000. The aim of the festival is to revive and protect the rich culture of Nagaland and display its traditions. Talking to media persons, Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism C Apok Jamir said that this year’s Hornbill festival will remain a 10 days affair. On being asked if there are any additional items this year, he said the department is yet to consult with the other agencies on the issue. Jamir also said the department is keeping in touch with the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister for External affairs Sushma Swaraj and Union Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma to grace this year’s Hornbill Festival. He, however, said that confirmation is yet to be gathered. Jamir maintained that tourism is one area which can provide employment and economic development to the people. “It also opens the door to rest of the world to see the beauty of Nagaland and its people and also the rich culture of the Nagas and basically the beauty of nature.” Stating that north-east is abounding with natural beauty, he said “It is our strength.” Here in Nagaland, he said “our strength is honesty, simplicity,” a culture and tradition that can be offered to the rest of the world. Stating that Hornbill festival has reached an international level, he said the state would like to develop and project Nagaland as one of the best tourist hotspots. Jamir said that the department will be focusing on rural tourism, adding that tourism is one potentiality where every district can offer, which would in turn earn livelihood for many and sustain the economy.

Village 9-member Cabinet Sub-Committee Parched appeals to govt to formed on tribe recognition issue build more reservoirs KOhimA, September 26 (mexN): The Nagaland State Legislative Assembly Cabinet has now formed a Cabinet Sub-Committee (CSC) to examine the tribe recognition issue in the State. A press release from Cabinet Secretary, Pankaj Kumar, informed that the CSC will consist of nine Cabinet members who will look into the matter “in its all aspects” as well as submit its recommendations at the earliest to the State Government for further action. This was decided at a Cabinet meeting held on September 26 that discussed the “recent reports in the media about the statements on the Rongmei issue made by several Tribal Hohos.” The CSC will consist of Ministers Dr. Niekiesalie Nicky Kire (Environment, Forest & CC) as Convenor, P. Longon (Health & Family Welfare) as Co-convenor and the Members will be Ministers Y. Patton (Home), Tokheho Yepthomi (PHED), Kipili Sangtam (Power), Nukutoshi (Mechanical, National Highways), C.L. John (Rural Development), Yitachu (School Education), and Y. Vikheho Swu

(Roads & Bridges). The press release further informed that during the meeting, the Cabinet took into consideration the fact that “recognition of the Rongmei tribe as one of the Naga tribes of Nagaland” was previously made by the Cabinet on July 23, 2012 and consequently Notification No. HOME/SCTA-6/2007 (Pt.I) dated August 4, 2012 was issued by the Home Department. The Cabinet also noted that the matter was under litigation in WP(C) No. 4519/2012 in the Gauhati High Court (Zeliang People Organization vs. State of Nagaland & Ors), which had passed an Interim Order on November 22, 2012, and that the matter was sub judice. The Cabinet Secretary also informed that it was also brought to the notice of the Cabinet that the report of the Committee, constituted vide Home Department’s Notification No. HOME/SCTA6/2007 (PT-II) dated April 3, 2014, under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary to examine the issues relating to recognition of tribes, was yet to submit its report.

DimApur, September 26 (ANi): Villagers in the Tuli subdivision of Mokokchung district in Nagaland have appealed to the government to build more reservoirs. The Kangtsung village, which has more than 200 houses and a population of about 1,500, is forced to fetch water from a perennial spring 2km away from the village. The village is approximately 200 km from Nagaland capital Dimapur. The pathway to the spring is slippery, rugged and invested with leeches and fetching water during odd hours for women and children is at risk. Faced with acute water shortage during dry seasons, an innovative idea came up. The villagers decided to harvest water from a church which stands atop of the village. Subonenba Longkumer, the director of Community Education Centre Society (CECS), became has beacon of hope for the parched village for building a water reservoir with support of the Hans Foundation. Kangtsung village’s chairman, T Meren Longkumer, wants to have a pumping machine to channelise the water from the spring to the reservoir. “Now CECS has constructed a reservoir here. I appeal to NGOs and government agencies to install a pumping machine. If it happens, then the water problem in our village would be solved,” he said.

VDB Secretaries forced to sign blank cheques: YAA CWS Kiphire allege discrepancies in PDS

C M Y K

DimApur, September 26 (mexN): The Yimchungrü Akherü Arihako (YAA) today informed the Director for Rural Development, Nagaland that villages under Rural Development Block of Shamator, Chessore, Pungro and Khongsa were “allegedly induced to put their initial/signature on a VDB cheque book of their respective villages by your esteemed office.” In a letter to the Director, the YAA said that “whereas, the VDB Secretaries inexplicable of the matter in concern has further provoked altercation amongst the public.” As such, the YAA sought certain clarifications (in

written) from the RD Director before October 15. The YAA stated that deduction of MGNREGA funds under Shamator and Chessore Block of Tuensang District is 40% (approx) out of the total sanctioned amount. “And the same matter with the Pungro and Khongsa block under Kiphire District of which the deduction is amounting to 50% of total sanctioned amount,” it added. The YAA said that the VDB Secretaries “were allegedly forced to sign blank cheques which is very questionable and cannot be tolerated.” It questioned the department for deducting such a huge

amount, and asked that the department “furnish the documents on which acts and guidelines the deductions are being done.” It also urged the department to “penalize those erring BDOs for forcing the VDB Secretaries to sign a couple of cheque of which the other is for the department deduction.” The YAA also alleged that the convergence funds are diverted from the MGNREGA of job card holders. It asked the department to furnish the documents on which acts and guidelines the MGNREGA funds were “diverted as ‘Convergence fund’ which is actually sanctioned for the villagers/job

card holders.” It further appealed to the RD Director to initiate disciplinary action against the BDO, Pungro for allegedly threatening the “VDB Secretaries to sign blank cheque stating that it is the directive of the higher department authority and the demand of the Union Minister for Rural Development as a bribe against the sanction of MGNREGA.” The YAA demanded that the department intimate any action taken against the officers in writing. Seeking redress of this issue within the stipulated time, the YAA cautioned that failure to do so would compel it to “initiate further necessary measures.”

DimApur, September 26 (mexN): An RTI filed by the Citizens Welfare Society (CWS) Kiphire has revealed discrepancies in the public distribution system in the district. A press note from the CWS Kiphire informed that it had filed an RTI on August 22 with the Directorate of Food & Civil Supplies seeking information in respect of Kiphire town pertaining to the issue of APL, BPL, AAY, Kerosene, Wheat, Atta and Sugar for the year 2015 -2016. The CWS said that on September 13, it received utilization informa-

tion and “found bulgy discrepancies in respect of the above mentioned schemes.” It stated that the “written information” from the town ward authorities and the directorate of food and civil supplies “shows the huge difference of the quantity received by the beneficiaries and the utilization certificate submitted to the Directorate of F&CS by the office of Assistant Director F&CS Kiphire.” The CWS Kiphire stated that as per the RTI response there was difference in numbers between the uti-

sn Particulars Utilization Certificate submitted by F&CS Kiphire 2015-16(per bag 50 kg) 1 APL 27600 Bags 2 BPL 8316 Bags 3 AAY Wheat 3329 Bags Rice 13668 4 Atta 1980 Bags 5 Sugar 6240 Bags 6 kerosene 46200 Litres (Kiphire Dist.)

lization certificate submitted by the F&CS Kiphire and the actual quantity received by ward authorities. The CWS Kiphire informed that the shortages were 21136 bags for APL; 6042 bags for BPL; 3329 and 12931 bags of wheat and rice respectively; 1916 bags of atta; 6021 bags of sugar and 1800 litres of kerosene. The CWS Kiphire questioned “how and why this huge quantity meant for the general public of Kiphire Town is missing” It further cautioned that the CWS would “not remain a silent spectator on the issue.”

Actual quantity received by ward authorities 2015-16(per bag 50 kg) 6464 Bags 2237 Bags

shortage (per bag 50 kg) 21136 Bags 6042 Bags

NIL 737 Bags 64 Bags 192 Bags 1800 Litres(Kiphire Town)

3329 Bags 12931Bags 1916 Bags 6012 Bags


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