March 17, 2017

Page 1

Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com

Vol XXVII No. 100

DIMAPUR, friday, march 17, 2017 Pages 12 ` 4.00

Queen authorises pm to begin Brexit

Niuland area win football, volleyball titles

Cong claim that BJP using money power absurd: Naidu

international, Page 9

sports, page 12

national, Page 5

Rio highlights NE rail network

URGES CENTRE TO TAKE UP DIMAPUR-TIZIT RLY LINE URGENTLY D imap u r , M ar 1 6 (NPN): Lok Sabha MP of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio highlighted the condition of railway services in Nagaland in particular and the north east in general in his speech during discussion on demands for grants of the ministry of railways, Wednesday. Rio described the enhancement of allocation to the north east at Rs.69,029.89 crore as encouraging but lamented that the pace of work of the 88kilometer Dimapur-Kohima railway project was slow as it was learnt that only 26 kilometers could be completed in two years’ time. Rio wanted an immediate survey done so as to avoid time overrun and const escalation. He also emphasised on making Dimapur railway station, the second highest revenue earning station in the entire north east , that caters to upper Assam, army and para-military forces and Manipur, be made into a “smart station and provide all the facilities and amenities for passengers and also

Union Cabinet reshuffle likely after April 12 NEW DELHI, Mar 16 ( Ag en c ie s ) : P r i m e Minister Narendra Modi is expected to undertake a Cabinet reshuffle soon and it could happen after the Parliament session gets over on April 12, sources said on Wednesday. A reshuffle has been on the cards for a while to fill up critical vacancies as well as induct some fresh faces. Finance minister Arun Jaitley has been given additional charge of the defence portfolio after Manohar Parrikar moved to Goa as CM. Both finance and defence are considered ministries with “heavy workload”. It is likely that a new defence minister may be inducted. In fact, soon after BJP’s emphatic win in the 2014 general elections, Jaitley was given additional charge of defence but the arrangement was found unworkable and Parrikar then Goa CM, was inducted. Besides, a finance minister holding additional charge of defence may find himself in a tricky situation where he will have to decide on financial demands that he will himself be raising as defence minister.

This is it!

“It sounds like sanskrit to me. Wish he could speak our style of Hindi.” K Y M C

Neiphiu Rio (File)

for loading and unloading in the station.” Rio also made a strong plea for taking up the Dimapur-Tizit railway line urgently and on top priority. He said the line runs through the foothills, which are fertile and rich in minerals and having huge oil and coal deposits. He also reminded that the 257 Km-stretch Dimapur to Tizit line touches five districts such as Dimapur, Wokha, Mokokchung, Longleng and Mon and which was approved by the Railway Board in 2013-14 under item 21 and also entered in the Pink Book of the Railway. Rio also expressed satisfaction over tenders floated for the development and line alignment from Dimapur to

Tizit with a token budget of Rs.1 crore and subsequent Rs.3.85 crore for two years. He said the project was expected to be completed in 720 days and when completed, would elevate the state’s economy and provide development benefit to the people. He focussed on the Tuli to Tuli town BG line covering only 9 to 10 kilometers and questioned why it was shelved when Nagaland has only 12 kilometers of railway network. He urged upon the railway ministry to take up the matter urgently. Rio also urged that the Amguri, Naginimora, Furkating and Baghty Valley work should also be taken up on priority since it passed through Nagaland and which could enhance and develop the economy. He also reminded that as part of Look East and Act East Policy, the originally proposed and planned Trans Asian Rail Network should not be abandoned. He said the actual plan route was from Dimapur-Kohima, Senapati-Imphal and Moreh to South East Asia that

run parallel to the National Highway. Rio said the proposed plan was abandoned and work for the railway started from Dimapur to Zubza without reaching Kohima. The MP suggested that the original plan should not be ignored though he was not against the present work. However, Rio said the ongoing work from Jiribam to Tupul and then to Imphal was going on a rapid pace but has no habitation and was unfavourable terrain. Rio said that the Trans Asian Rail Network was intended to move forward implement the Look East and Act East Policy to penetrate the North East so that people enjoyed the benefit. Rio however reiterated that there was no objection to the Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal road but that the original plan should not be abandoned but taken up as top priority. He expressed the hope that the increase in the budget allocation for NE would help expand the railway network to cover difficult areas including Nagaland.

Postal employees union join protest

Hindi teachers protest at Civil Sectt

Correspondent

KO H I M A , M A R 1 6 (NPN): Around one thousand postal employees in Nagaland participated in the one-day nation-wide strike called by called by All India Central Government Employees’ Union in Kohima. All India Postal Employees Union Nagaland Division (AIPEUND) secretary Daniel Tomeh told media persons that the strike was called following non-fulfilment on its charter of demands. He also said that the demand include increase in minimum pay and fitment formula, no reduction of HRA rate, revision of all allowances as per 7th pay commission recommendation, scrap new pension system, filling up of vacancies, removal of Compassionate appointment restriction, parity in pay scales with central secretariat staff and removal of CCL adverse condition, etc. Further, Thome informed that the next course of action would depend on the outcome of the March 28 meeting schedule to be held with central government ministers.

Hindi teachers stage a sit-in protest outside the Civil Secretariat complex on Thursday. (NP) Correspondent

KO H I M A , M A R 1 6 (NPN): Over a thousand aggrieved Hindi teachers staged a sit-in protest outisde the Nagaland Civil Secretariat complex on the second day of the phase-III agitation Thursday, against the state government for non-release of nine months’ salary. Hindi teachers under the aegis of All Nagaland Hindi Teachers’ Union (ANHTU), including nursing mothers have affirmed to carry out the protest at the same venue even on Friday. ANHTU president, Rometo Sema, said the agitating teachers were in-

formed through the PS to the school education minister that an emergency cabinet meeting has been convened on Friday at 10am to discuss the issue. ANHTU president, however, reiterated that the teachers would not accept a few months salary. A government representative, reportedly deputed by chief secretary, met the agitating teachers Thursday afternoon and offered two months again and assured to pay the rest (8 months) next month. However, the teachers have reportedly declined the offer, saying that until they were given written assurance, they would not compromise their agitation

with verbal assurance. To this, the government representative said he could not give any written assurance. Meanwhile, ANHTU has also reportedly written a letter addressed to the principal secretary school education intimating its decision to continue the agitation at Nagaland civil secretariat. The union cautioned that the state government would be held responsible if anything happened to the teachers during the course of agitation. On Wednesday, the Hindi teachers picketed the directorate of school education against the failure of the state government to fulfil their demands.

Amarinder sworn-in as Punjab’s Cong CM Manipur govt to appeal UNC to lift blockade Singh and Congress vicepresident Rahul Gandhi, the swearing-in ceremony saw Navjot Singh Sidhu, who left the BJP for the Congress before elections, taking oath as a cabinet minister. Sidhu

Amarinder Singh

CHANDIGARH/ LUCKNOW, MAR 16 (IANS): Captain Amarinder Singh took oath as the chief minister of Punjab today at the Raj Bhawan in Chandigarh paving way for the return of the Congress to power in the state after a gap of ten years. In the recently-held Assembly elections, the Congress was victorious in 77 seats, successfully thwarting the challenge of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and decimating the incumbent Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) alliance. Attended by former prime minister Manmohan

was speculated to get the deputy chief minister’s post, but it did not eventually happen. Sidhu, after being administered oath by Punjab Governor, touched Singh’s feet as a mark of respect.

Some of the other ministers who took oath include Manpreet Singh Badal, Razia Sultana, MLA from Malerkotla, Aruna Chaudhary, Rana Gurjit Singh and Brahm Mohindra.

BJP still looking for CM faces in UP, Uttarakhand

The BJP remains indecisive over its chief ministerial candidates in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand even as Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parikkar won a trust vote. Though the BJP converted this round of Assembly polls into a 4:1 battle, winning decisive mandates in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand and manipulating smaller parties to form governments in Goa and Manipur, the saffron party is struggling to finalise its chief ministerial nominees in UP and Uttarakhand. BJP Chief Amit Shah was to pick the UP chief ministerial candidate on March 16 but the party had to postpone a meeting of its newly elected lawmakers to March 18. In UP, where the BJP won 312 of the 403, the party is taking time to finalise the chief ministerial nominee. The central leadership of the BJP is learnt to be toying with the names of Union Home Minister

Rajnath Singh and Minister of State for Telecom Manoj Sinha. Names of two more union ministers, Smriti Irani and Kalraj Mishra, Lucknow Mayor Dinesh Sharma, national BJP Spokesperson Shrikant Sharma and Gorakhpur MP Yogi Adityanath have been doing the rounds for the state’s top post. Rajnath Singh, on more than two occasions, has refused being in the race and has termed such talks as “crap”. In Uttarakhand, where the BJP won 55 of the 70 seats, the party has planned a swearing-in ceremony on March 18 but there is no clarity on who would be the CM. The names of Prakash Pant, TS Rawat and former Congress leader Satpal Maharaj are doing the rounds as CM probables. Besides, former chief ministers BC Khanduri, Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Congress import Vijay Bahuguna too are in the queue.

Correspondent

IMPHAL, Mar 16: After taking over as new chief minister of Manipur, N Biren Singh Thursday convened a special meeting with the cabinet ministers and MLAs, where it was decided to make an appeal on the United Naga Council (UNC) to immediately lift the economic blockade. A press communiqué from chief minister’s secretariat stated that the BJPled government has also decided to put all its efforts to bring an end on the blockade. UNC imposed economic blockade on the national highways in Manipur since November 1, 2016 to protest against creation of new districts by carving out Naga inhabited areas. Earlier, after taking oath on Wednesday, N Biren Singh said that his government first priority was to

bring an end to the ongoing more than four months old economic blockade imposed by UNC. BJP during its election rally, promised to bring an end on the economic blockade and to make Manipur a blockade and bandh free state. Prime minister also at the election rally in Imphal said “No blockade will be allowed once the BJP comes to power.” The party national leaders even promised to end the ongoing economic blockade within a day if BJP was voted to power. Meanwhile, Singh has asked state chief secretary to prepare a project for the development of hill areas asserting that it was his government another priority. In this regard, chief secretary O Nabakishore in an another meeting at conference hall of Old Secretariat, has instructed all administrative heads of

state government departments to prepare a detail project report within a week to seek special fund package from the Centre. The meeting was attended by additional chief secretaries, commissioners, secretaries and director of state planning department. The chief secretary informed the officials on the priorities and commitments of the new government. He also urged the administrative heads to ensure that the employees maintain punctuality so that efficient services delivered to the people to make Manipur clean and corruption free government. The chief secretary further informed the administrative heads that the development of hill areas in Manipur was the priority of the government and therefore, instructed them to prepare a detail project report within a week.

EVMs ‘not temperable’, says Election Commission NE budget around `50000 cr for 2017-18 Spl. Correspondent

Spl. Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MAR 16 (NPN): Drawing attention to the allegations of rigging in EVMs, as claimed by many political parties, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday clarified that given effective technical and administrative safeguards, EVMs were “not temperable” and integrity of electoral process is preserved. ECI in a clarification issued by Addl. DG (media & communications), Rajesh Malhotra said it did not find any merit in such allegations and reject all such allegations and suspicions raised by some political parties. ECI has also assured all citizens that the ECI would further enhance confidence of citizens in ECI’s electoral process by deploying VVPAT in phase manner. Malhotra also reminded that since 2000, EVMs were used in 107 general

NEW DELHI, MAR 16 (NPN): Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Dr Jitendra Singh on Thursday said that that the current budget for the North Eastern region for 2017-18 was around Rs. 50000 crore This was significantly higher than the earlier years and also an indication of high priority that the Modi government accorded to the development of the region, said Dr. Jitendra Singh while speaking in Rajya Sabha in reply to a question by Assam MP, Ms. Ranee Narah The DoNER minister informed that the 10 % contribution from budget of the each of the 56 non-exempted Union Ministries earmarked for Northeast, amounts in total to over Rs. 43,000 crore which was earlier around Rs. 33,000 crore. In addition, Dr. Singh said, the Railway budget for Northeast was to the tune of Rs. 5,500 crore, the budget for special roads scheme for Northeast at Rs. 150 crore and the budget for BTC, KAATC & DHATC around Rs. 120 crore. The minister also informed the house that the DoNER Ministry budget for 201718 was increased up to Rs. 279.45 crore.

elections to State Legislative Assemblies and three general elections to Lok Sabha (2004, 2009 & 2014). In 2009, in a case before Delhi High Court, all earlier allegations about EVM temperabilities were raised. However, he said the Delhi High Court satisfied with detailed reply of ECI why EVM cannot be rigged and about ECI efforts on developing VVPAT decided and disposed of the case in 2012 that VVPAT may be developed early in consulta-

tion with political parties. Malhotra further explained that the EC had put in place an elaborate technical and administrative system of safeguards to ensure error-free functioning of EVMs in elections. In this regard, he said the Commission was “fully satisfied with the tamper proof functioning of the ECI-EVMs.” “Such allegations and suspicions have not been raised for the first time. Even on earlier occasions, the Commission has offered op-

portunities more than once to those alleging the tamperability of EVM, no one has been able to demonstrate to the Commission that the EVM with ECI and used in the country’s election process, can be manipulated or tampered with,” he added. Malhotra also pointed out that EC “did not receive specific complaints or concrete material from political parties/candidates about alleged tempering of EVMs during recently held election process.”

In reply to a supplementary, Dr Jitendra Singh said, both the pace of the various projects as well as the percentage expenditure of the allocated funds had shown significant rise during the last three years. He also pointed out how the process of submission of approval of DPRs were expedited using the help of modern technology and portals. Similarly, he said, the services of Space Centre in Shillong were being solicited for appropriate and accurate preparation of Utilization Certificates without wasting time. As a result, he said in April 2016 the amount of around Rs. 1158 crore was pending on account of delayed Utilization Certificates. However, as on February 2017, the same pending amount got reduced to Rs. 206.5 crore, he added. Later in the day, Dr Jitendra Singh convened a meeting of the ministry’s Consultative Committee where Members of Parliament from the region including C. L. Ruala, Neiphiu Rio, Vincent H. Pala, Naba Kumar Sarania and Bijoya Chakravarty and also DoNER secretary Naveen Verma, secretary North Eastern Council Ram Muivah and senior officers of DoNER Ministry were present. K Y M C


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.