May 18, 2020

Nagaland Post

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Vol XXX No. 161

DIMAPUR, MONDAY, MAY 18, 2020 Pages 8 ` 4.00

61 to 286: Covid cases see huge spike in NE northeast, Page 7

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Nationwide lockdown extended till May 31

NEW DELHI, MAY 17 (AGENCIES): Centre on Sunday extended the ongoing nationwide lockdown till May 31. The fourth phase of the lockdown will commence from Monday.

The government has allowed considerable relaxations in this round of lockdown- Inter-state movement of vehicles, buses have been allowed with states being given the final power to decide on relaxations in Red, Orange and Green zones.

While the government has now opened up red zones to economic activities, containment zones will continue to remain out of bounds to all non-essential movement. At the same time, even as air transport and metro services continue to remain suspended, the Centre has now given the go-ahead for the inter and intra state movement of passenger vehicles and buses across the country, except in containment zones.

The National Disaster Management Authority on Sunday issued a letter to Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, directing all ministries/departments of the government of India

Added cost to lockdown education

Highlights of what is allowed & what is not allowed Activities to remain prohibited

 The movement of individuals will remain strictly prohibited between 7 pm and 7 am, except for essential activities.  All domestic and international air travel of passengers, except for domestic medical services, domestic air ambulances and for security purposes or purposes as permitted

by MHA will not operate.  All metro rail services will remain suspended.  School, colleges, educational/training/coaching institutions etc, will remain closed.  Hotels, restaurant and other hospitality services shall remain suspended.  All cinema halls, shopping malls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places will remain closed.  All social/political/sports/entertainment/academic/cultural/religious functions/other gatherings and large congregations will not be allowed.  All religious places/places of worship shall be closed for public. Religious congregations are strictly prohibited.  Consumption of liquor, paan, gutkha and tobacco is not allowed in public places.

Activities that will be allowed  Hospitality services meant for housing health/police/government officials/health care workers/stranded persons including tourists for quarantine facilities shall be operational.  Canteens at the bus depot, railway stations and airports will also be operational.  Restaurants will be permitted to operate kitchens for home delivery of food items.  Sports complexes and stadia will be permitted to open; however, spectators will not be allowed.  Online distance learning shall continue to be permitted and shall be encouraged.  Inter-state movement of passenger vehicles and buses, with mutual consent of states(s) and UT(s) involved, except in containment zones.  Inter-state movement of passenger vehicles and buses, as decided by the states and UT(s), except in containment zones.  All states/UTs shall allow inter-state and intra-state movement of medical professionals, nurses and para-medical staff, sanitation personnel and ambulances without any restrictions.  All states/UTs shall allow inter-state movement of all types of goods/cargos, including empty trucks.  All other activities will be allowed, except those which are specifically prohibited.  Marriage-related gatherings to ensure social distancing, with a maximum of 50 guests.  For funerals, a maximum of 20 people will be allowed.  Local authorities should ensure that shops and markets open with staggered timings, so as to ensure social distancing. All shops will also have to ensure six feet distance among customers and also not allow more than 5 people at one time.  In containment zones, only essential services will be permitted.

and state governments/authorities to extend the lockdown measures up to May 31, 2020. This order was issued under NDMA’s exercise of the powers vested to

it under Section 6 (2) (i) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

In addition, NDMA has also asked the National Executive Council (NEC)

This is it!

"In 1947 there was partition exodus and now in 2020 it is migration exodus."

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ferred power to the states/ UTs to delineate red, orange and green zones in accordance with the parameter issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Centre.

National directives: Wearing face masks will be compulsory in all public and workplaces, social distancing has to be followed and spitting will attract fines.

Wedding functions will be permitted with not more than 50 guests and only 20 people will be allowed to attend a funeral.

Persons above 65 years of age, people with co-morbidities, pregnant women, and children below the age of 10 years will have to stay at home, except for essential and health purposes.

Existing guidelines in Nagaland to continue DIMAPUR: Following extension of the nationwide lockdown till May 31, Nagaland chief secretary, Temjen Toy, has ordered that all existing lockdown guidelines in the State will continue to remain operative till the issuance of fresh guidelines.

India COVID cases cross 90k mark

Border: Borlengri 46.3L cases globally residents call for Globally, the total relaxing sealing number of coronavirus cases

Staff Reporter

D imapur , M ay 1 7 (NPN): As the lockdown over the coronavirus came into effect since March 24, the gauntlet of educating children has been thrown on parents since all schools and colleges have remained closed indefinitely.

With teachers no longer involved with teaching as in classroom settings, many parents are finding the going tough since the online study sent from schools through various applications such as App Online and particularly WhatsApp etc. have compelled them to become teachers.

One revelation from the ongoing Online study being initiated by various schools and colleges is that most parents especially from the low income group are placed in a difficult situation when it comes to using mobile apps.

Some parents are not well acquainted with academic teaching, while another common aspect is that most parents are not technically savvy when it comes to use of mobile apps. They would take some time while learning to become familiar with the applications in the gadgets. (Cont’d on p-5)

to issue “modifications in the guidelines as necessary, keeping in view the need to open up economic activities while containing the spread of COVID 19”.

Local authorities have also been ordered to issue prohibitory orders under Section 133 of CrPC for a night curfew between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. Only essential services will be exempted from these orders.

All states/UTs have been asked to ensure unrestricted inter-state and intrastate movement of medical professionals, nurses and paramedical staff along with sanitation personnel and ambulances. Inter-state movement of all types of goods/cargo is also to be allowed, including empty trucks.

States to make final call on passenger movement/zoning: MHA has now permitted inter-state movement of passenger vehicles and buses, provided that consent is given by all states/UTs involved.

States/UTs have been given the authority to decide on the intra-state movement of passenger vehicles and buses. MHA has also trans-

has surpassed 46.34 lakh while the death toll from Covid-19 has risen to 3.11 lakh, according to latest figures from Johns Hopkins University. With 14.6 lakh cases, the US is the worst hit country while the death toll in the country has crossed 88,000.

Nagaland COVID-19: Results of 38 awaited

NEW DELHI, MAY 17 (AGENCIES): The total number of coronavirus cases in the country has risen to 90,927 while the death toll from Covid-19 has gone up to 2,872, according to the figures released by the Union Health Ministry on Sunday.

In past 24 hours, 4,987

new cases, the highest oneday jump, and 120 deaths were reported.

The government has claimed that testing capacity in the country has increased about 1 lakh tests per day through over 500 government and private labs. And so far, more than 20 lakh tests have been conducted so far.

D I M A P U R , M AY 1 7 (NPN): Out of the 952 samples sent for testing from the State till 4 pm on Sunday, results of 914 samples have tested negative, even as results of the remaining 38 samples were awaited, principal secretary Home, Abhijit Sinha informed.

Altogether, 3,004 persons were also screened during the day and 1,406 persons were under facility quarantine, he added.

union minister, challenged the finance minister for a debate on the package while raising questions about the announcements made by the prime minister.

"The gover nment's economic package is only of Rs 3.22 lakh crore and is only 1.6 per cent of India's GDP and is not worth Rs 20 lakh crore as announced by the prime minister," Sharma said while addressing a press conference through video conferencing.

"I am questioning the Finance Minister, disputing the announcement of Prime Minister and challenging the government to disprove me on the numbers given by me and am ready for a debate with the finance minister," he said.

The Congress leader further said the Finance Minister should answer questions and not ask ques-

tions instead. He also demanded that the government provide answers to the country on the plight of migrants forced to walk on roads due to lack of planning on the part of the central government.

Sharma hit back at Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for her attack on the opposition party and termed it as "frivolous", saying the country expects some seriousness and gravitas from the finance minister. He also asked the government to apologise to the poor citizens of the country who have been abandoned and their fundamental rights and legal rights violated.

With the Centre sanctioning additional funds for job creation under the MGNREGA, the UP Congress, on Sunday, said the BJP had been exposed

international, Page 6

Centre unveils fifth and finale tranche of economic package NEW DELHI, MAY 17 (AGENCIES): Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced the fifth and the final tranche of the economic package that aims to revive the country's coronavirushit economy.

In her opening remarks during the 5th Press Conference on a stimulus package to fight COVID-19 under Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan, FM Nirmala Sitharaman referred to the vision laid out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the Nation on May 12, 2020.

Announcing the 5th and last tranche of measures towards Government Reforms and Enablers, Sitharaman detailed eight measures for providing employment, support to businesses, Ease of Doing Business, and State Governments as well sectors such as Education and Health.

1. Rs 40,000 crore increase in allocation for MGNREGS to provide employment boost: It will help generate nearly 300 crore person-days in total addressing need for more

work including returning migrant workers in Monsoon season as well.

2. Health Reforms & Initiatives: Public Expenditure on Health will be increased by investing in grass-root health institutions and ramping up Health and Wellness Centres in rural and urban areas. Setting up of Infectious Diseases Hospital Blocks in all districts and strengthening of lab network and surveillance by Integrated Public Health Labs in all districts & block level Labs & Public Health Unit to manage pandemics. Further, National Institutional Platform for One health by ICMR will encourage research and the implementation of National Digital Health Blueprint under the National Digital Health Mission.

3. Technology Driven Education with Equity post-COVID: PM eVIDYA, a programme for multi-mode access to digital/online education to be launched immediately.

Manodarpan, an initiative for psycho-social support for students, teachers and families for mental health

and emotional well-being to be launched immediately as well. New National Curriculum and Pedagogical framework for school, early childhood and teachers will also be launched. National Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Mission for ensuring that every child attains Learning levels and outcomes in grade 5 by 2025 will be launched by December 2020.

4. Further enhancement of ease of doing business through IBC related measures: The minimum threshold to initiate insolvency proceedings has been raised to Rs. 1 crore (from Rs. 1 lakh, which largely insulates MSMEs). Special insolvency resolution framework for MSMEs under Section 240A of the Code will be notified soon. Suspension of fresh initiation of insolvency proceedings up to one year, depending upon the pandemic situation. Empowering Central Government to exclude COVID 19 related debt from the definition of “default” under the Code for the purpose of triggering insolvency proceedings.

Review use of schools, hostels as quarantine centres: ANPSA

4095 persons opt to stay back; 1382 have returned till date

D I M A P U R , M AY 1 7 (NPN): All Nagaland Private Schools’ Association (ANPSA) Central has urged the State government to review its decision of requisitioning private schools and hostels for use as quarantine centres.

ANPSA in a release issued pointed out that offices in all private schools are open now to facilitate online learning and teachers are using school infrastructure for online classes and preparing other online lessons, tests and exams. These activities require school offices to remain open and teachers to come to school.

Thus, if private schools and hostels were requisitioned as quarantine centres, the association said many private schools would have to stop teaching through online classes as hostels were attached in almost (Cont’d on p-5) all schools. The first and

D I M A P U R , M AY 1 7 (NPN): Borlengri residents have urged the State government to relax sealing of the Borlengri bridge.

In a representation to home commissioner through DC Dimapur, nine village GBs and chairman and eight leaders appealed for exempting people living in Borlengri from the purview of the sealing, besides reviewing the sealing immediately.

Pointing out that sealing of the bridge by Dimapur district administration on May 11 had blocked the only lifeline of the people of Borlengri, the representation asserted that though geographically the area was under Karbi Anglong, Assam, 90% of its people were Nagas and they exercised all their rights in Nagaland, adding it was a twin town of Dimapur.

Govt package only worth `3.22L cr, not `20L cr: Cong NEW DELHI, MAY 17 (PTI): The Congress on Sunday accused the government of misleading people in the name of an economic package and said the measures announced by the Centre amounted to only 1.6 per cent of India's GDP, i.e. worth Rs 3.22 lakh crore instead of Rs 20 lakh crore as claimed by the Prime Minister.

Congress' senior spokesperson Anand Sharma said Prime Minister Narendra Modi must "walk the talk" and announce the measures required by giving money in the hands of the poor and small and medium enterprises to help reboot the economy.

He noted that there was a difference between providing stimulus to the economy and merely giving loans and credit to people.

Shar ma, a for mer

US reopening with or without vaccine : Trump

about its claim regarding the scheme, once dubbed as a 'living monument' of poverty by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

If the scheme was an 'epitome of corruption', then why was it being implemented now and additional funds allocated, UP Congress spokesperson Ashok Kumar asked referring to a Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement about the scheme in the Parliament in 2015. " W h o wa s t e l l i n g lies, and who was misleading the country? It is the schemes envisaged by the Congress on which the country is functioning today," Kumar said, claiming that the Congress had always been contributing to nation-building.

The BJP had been "effectively exposed", he said.

Odd-even system to continue in Dimapur D I M A P U R , M AY 1 7 (NPN): In an order, commissioner of police Dimapur, R. Tetseo Sunday informed that the ‘Odd-Even system’ for vehicles in Dimapur will continue till further order.

The system has been in force since May 11.

All types of vehicles, both commercial and private, including two-wheelers, having registration numbers ending with odd digits (i.e.1,3,5,7,9) only will be allowed to ply on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Vehicles with registration numbers ending with even digits (i.e. 0,2,4,6,8) will be allowed on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The restriction on movement of vehicles will however, not apply to those vehicles exempted through various government notifications that are currently in force in the state.

foremost priority of private schools at this moment was to continue giving online classes/distance learning to children, it added.

Further, as many private schools and hostels were located in crowded and populated urban areas, ANPSA pointed out that waste disposal, laundry, meal preparations, entry and exist of people, ventilation, sanitation and cleaning and handling of PPEs, etc, would be a major problem as these schools and hostels were not built for such purposes.

It suggested that quarantine centres be set up on the outskirts of urban/city areas.

Emphasising that safety of the quarantined inmates should be of utmost priority, the association said the schools and hostels did not meet the requirement of being community-based quarantine facilities.

(Cont’d on p-5)

D I M A P U R , M AY 1 7 (NPN): State principal secretary (home) Abhijit Sinha Sunday said that 4,095 citizens of Nagaland presently outside the state have opted to stay back at their respective places and filled up the required form on the government portal for availing the one-time assistance for Rs 10,000. The facility for making application closed at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Also, so far, 1,382 persons of Nagaland stranded in different parts of the country due to the lockdown had reached the State.

According to DIPR, 47 stranded citizens arrived Dimapur on May 17 around 7 p.m. by the special train (New Delhi to Dibrugarh) train. Of the 47, one person from Assam left in a private vehicle and three buses with 45 persons left for Arunachal (Cont’d on p-5) Pradesh from the station.

Kohima police develop ultraviolate sanitizer box

UV sanitizer box

D I M A P U R , M AY 1 7 (NPN): Kohima police personnel designed and developed an indigenous "ultra violet sanitizer box", which was donated to District TB Centre, Kohima.

Informing this in a statement, district TB officer, Dr. Asunu Thong

said the UV box would be useful for health workers to sterilize personal and medical equipment as they were frequently exposed to various infections.

Thong expressed gratitude to SP Kohima, Kevithuto Sophie and staffs for donating the box.

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‘International Nurses Day’ celebrated in Dimapur

Nagaland Post, Dimapur MONDAY, MAY 18, 2020

news in Brief No penalty for delayed deposit: EPFO DC Dimapur convenes DTF meeting: Deputy commissioner (DC) Dimapur Anoop Khinchi has convened a meeting of District Task Force (DTF) to discuss matters relating to COVID-19 pandemic on May 18 at the conference hall of DC Dimapur office. All DTF Dimapur members have been asked to attend the meeting.

DC Tuensang bans sale of tobacco products: Deputy commissioner (DC) Tuensang Kumar Ramnikant has banned the sale and consumption of paan, gutka and tobacco products. It was also informed that spitting in public places and institutions under Tuensang district is strictly prohibited as a preventive measure to contain the spread of COVID-19 infections. Failure to comply with the order shall attract legal action under Section 188 of the IPC and under the relevant sections of the National Disaster Management Act, 2005.

DIMAPUR: Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has informed that there will be no penalty for delayed deposit while maintaining that due to the prolonged lockdown and other disruptions due to the pandemic.

A press release issued by regional PF commissioner, P. Hangsing stated that considering the difficulty faced by the estab-

lishments in timely deposit of contributions or administrative charges, it was decided that such delays due to operational or economic reasons shall not be treated as default and penal damages should not be levied for such delay.

The release also stated that circular dated May 15 has been issued to field offices of EPFO containing instructions to the effect

that no proceeding shall be initiated for levy of penal damages in such cases which is available under TAV “COVID-19” on home page of EPFO website.

Fur ther, the mentioned step shall ease the compliance norms for 6.5 lakhs EPF covered establishments and save them from liability on account of penal damages.

DC Kohima issue directives: Deputy commissioner Kohima, Gregory Thejawelie issued the following directives for strict compliance of the general public in Kohima district, wherein sale of gutka and other tobacco product and spitting in all public places is strictly prohibited. Violation of this order is punishable as per section 51 of DM Act and section 188 of IPC and entails payment of huge fines.

Nurses during the special celebration held at Dimapur hospital on May 12.

D I M A P U R : Tr a i n e d Nurses Association of India (TNAI) Dimapur unit celebrated the international nurses’ day on May 12, along with the rest of the world under the

theme, “Nursing the world to health”.

A press release from TNAI Dimapur unit president stated that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the occasion was conducted

only with a short prayer fellowship. TNAI Dimapur unit further donated food package to all the staff of COVID-19 Hospital Dimapur to mark the special day.

NCD joint meeting: The proposed tribal presidents under Naga Council Dimapur (NCD) and all the newly nominated members of the NCD (2020-2024) joint meeting scheduled to be held at 2 p.m has been preponed to 10 a.m. The date and place will be the same as published earlier. All the concerned members have been requested to participate in the general interest of the public.

Mangkolemba Task Force for COVID-19 conducted an awareness campaign for mass sensitisation of the general public under Mangkolemba town on May 16.

According to DIPR report, the campaign was spearheaded by anganwadi workers, police personnel, DBs and pastor Mangkolemba Town Ao Baptist Church and his team. (DIPR)

Relief assistance during lockdown continues NDPP observes 3rd foundation day ilies, identified through the Naga Mothers’ Association and Rotarians. The beneficiaries were given essential food commodities sponsored by Rotarians and donor friends of the Club.

Beneficiaries were single mothers, widows, daily wagers, students and siblings from far flung areas, cancer patients, victims of domestic abuse, HIV positive families and Naga war veteran families.

Club also handed over Rotary nutrition rations to the vulnerable communities in Old Age Home, Kohima, Bright Morning Star Orphanage, Kripa Rehabilitation Centre and NMA Cradle Ridge, Seithogei as well as the children and young people of the Rotary Gift of Life, Free

KFD announces WED online competition DIMAPUR: To commemorate “World Environment Day”, which is celebrated every year on June 5, Kohima Forest Division (KFD) has announced “free online competition” on WED 2020 theme, “biodiversity”.

A press release by KFD said that the competition will be held for two sections - school children and open section. For the school chil-

dren section, categories of competition include paintings (for classes II-IV), short story (for classes V-VII), poems (classes VIII to X) and poster (classes XI -XII).

For the open section, entries have been invited for paintings (preferably with a traditional touch) and articles.

All entries are to be mailed at kohimadfo@gmail.com on or before May 23.

NSCN (I-M) condoles demise of member

DIMAPUR: Government of the People’s Republic of Nagaland (GPRN) has expressed grief at the untimely demise of ‘corporal’ (posthumous) Yemlongchuba Lumou, Naga Army number 43611/15, of Yambamo Brigade, Naga Army from Tuensang village under Chang Region, on May 17, after a prolonged illness.

According to NSCN (I-M) through its MIP stated that, he was enrolled in the Naga national service on August 13, 2015 and served the Naga nation with unwavering national spirit until his demise.

It added that the void created by his demise was deeply felt and would be difficult to fill in.

Government of the People’s Republic of Nagaland (GPRN) further conveyed its deepest condolences to the bereaved family members and pray that Almighty God grant his soul eternal peace and rest.

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Heart Surgery.

RC Ko h i m a a l s o handed over Rotary surgical masks and hand sanitisers on May 17, to the Kohima Press Club president for media personnel, for Police and Traffic police to the officer in charge, North Police Station, Kohima and to the medical officer, Primary Health Centre, Kohima that looks after Kohima village, Chedema, Rusoma and surrounding colonies.

MTLT relief work: Mokokchung Town Lanur Telongjem (MTLT) reached out to the villages lying in the AssamNagaland border belt in its fourth phase of relief work.

A press release from MTLT convener Merang Longkumer and vice presi-

dent Martoshi Longkumer stated that, MTLT taking into account the villagers living in the border areas (Assam-Nagaland) had sensitized them and also distributed relief materials to 14 villages.

Deputy commissioner of Mokokchung, Limawapang Jamir flagged off the MTLT relief teams which were divided into three groups. DC assured that the government, especially the district administration, was doing its best and asked the people of Mokokchung district not to panic, to follow the COVID-19 protocols, and to reach out to each other.

Pastor of Mokokch u n g To w n B a p t i s t C h u r c h , Rev Po n e n Longchar invoked God’s blessings during the send

off programme. President of Ao Senden, Chubawati graced the flaggingoff programme of MTLT COVID-19 coordination committee relief works.

MTLT had formed a MTLT COVID-19 coordination committee under the leadership of Merang Longkumer to coordinate with the district administration, the ward authorities and the stakeholders in this collective fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

AIM ASIA: AIM ASIA, Dimapur under the theme “COVID-19 Reliefs” distributed essential commodities towards the fellow citizens, especially to the daily wage earners, widows and “poor families” living in Burma Camp, East Block, Dimapur.

OFFICE OF THE ALL SUMI STUDENTS' UNION (SKK) The All Sumi Students’ Union (SKK), would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to the following individuals who have helped the Union financially and materially to transport stranded students to their respective destinations, during this Pandemic lockdown: 1. Ino Hosheto Achumi, Rtd. Commissioner Transport - 1 Bus 2. The Principal and faculty, Zunheboto Govt. College - 1 Bus 3 Dr. Andrew Ahoto, Chairman, Livingstone Foundation International, Thahekhu/ Kevijau, Dimapur - 1 Bus 4. Ino Y. Vikheho Swu, MLA 13 AC Pughoboto - 25,000/5. Ino Zheito Chophy, Ex-Candidate 36 AC Satakha - 10,000/6. Ino Enoch Wotsa, Contractor - 10,000/Sd/Sd/Hutoshe Kits Bokalu V. Jimo President General Secretary All Sumi Students’ Union (SKK) All Sumi Students’ Union (SKK)

DIMAPUR: Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) observed its third foundation day on May 16, wherein the party president Chingwang Konyak conveyed a message to the party rank and file.

A press release from NDPP media cell stated that, Chingwang while expressing that much has been achieved during the short time since NDPP was established, however pointed out that much more needed to be done. In this regard, he asked for active participation of all party members and prayer support of the public.

Chingwang stated that party ideologies and programmes could be promoted because of the tireless efforts of all rank and file of NDPP from grassroots to central headquarters. Stating that it was not often that a nascent political party got to form

a government, Chingwang expressed gratitude to its alliance partners, namely the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the independent member who had helped establish the PDA government in Nagaland. Chingwang also said that NDPP has put on record its appreciation to all the political parties, particularly the principal opposition party, the Naga Peoples Front, for playing the role of a responsible opposition and their

support to the government in times of crisis especially during this global COVID19 pandemic. Chingwang also mentioned the founding members for their contributions and sacrifices and that “they may be gone, but they shall never be forgotten.”

He called upon the party rank and file to rededicate in serving the party even as it entered the fourth year so that the party progresses to greater heights.

REMEMBRANCE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

DP-2364

DIMAPUR: As the nationwide COVID-19 pandemic lockdown continues, district administrations, various civil society organisations and individuals have come forward and offered relief packages, financial and medical assistance to those in need.

RCK community service: Rotary Club of Kohima (RCK) carried out a three week community ser vice Rotar y project “Kohima we care” from April 20 to May 17 in Kohima to help the needy during the lockdown crises. A press release from RCK president Dr. Neisatuo Mero and director community service RCK. Dr. Rosemary Dzuvichu stated that, Rotarians distributed relief rations to five hundred and fifty fam-

Lt. Mrs. Rongsennungla

Died : 18.05.2019 "Honour her for all that her hands have done" Proverbs 31:31 The love our mom had for all of us, is something special. We deeply miss on her 1st Death Anniversary.

She was a great wife and a great mom. We don't just mourn, but appreciate her wisdom, her guidance, her love and good moral that she left behind.

Deeply missed......

Beloved husband, children, grand children and in-laws DP-2345

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State

Nagaland Post, Dimapur MONDAY, MAY 18, 2020

Directives, appeals continue during COVID-19 lockdown in Nagaland

DIMAPUR: Even as the nationwide 3.0 lockdown continues with few relaxations for stranded persons to travel to their respective states, the government of Nagaland has been stepping up its responsibility of ensuring that proper guidelines are adhered to in the state. Government agencies have been ceaselessly working towards protecting the state from possible outbreak of the dreaded pandemic through various activities and programmes.

Frontline workers such as the Police, Medical, administration, sanitation workers, volunteers and the media continue attending to their duties with fortitude. School children are being tutored online and many teachers have volunteered to take online classes to complete the syllabus. Government polytechnic institutes, engineering services, colleges and other volunteers have utilised the situation to produce sanitiser, mask and even an automatic body sanitising chamber. This has proved that Nagaland state can be resourceful and self reliant not only during the pandemic but even in the future, as opportunities are there for establishment of such small scale industries.

Tuensang DISTRICT

Task Force for COVID19 tour of villages

Task Force for COVID-19 comprising of five groups during the tour of various villages. (DIPR)

Management committee constituted for quarantine centre Deputy commissioner (DC) Tuensang, Kumar Ramnikant has constituted a management committee to supervise the functioning of the Sao Chang College quarantine centre (QR). According to DIPR report, the members are: Executive engineer WRD, Er. Ngakuchingmak Chang as team leader, JE PHED, Ngamen Chang, JE Electrical, Lihori Sangtam, vice principal ITI, Netenba, JSCO,

Beso Chang, supervisor Social Welfare department, Wongto Chang, GT Yimpang, C. Changkumba Chang, representative each from CKS/KTC/USLP/ YTC/CCSU/KSU/USSC/YAA and president, 3rd NAP ward, O. Somba as the members.

Duties and responsibilities are as follows: To coordinate with the reception committee at Chare and make necessary arrangements to

Peren DISTRICT

receive the returnees; To maintain proper records related to QR and report to war room on a day basis; Monitor the day to day functioning of the QR and identify the needs and requirements of the QR; Check the quality of food served at the QR, hygiene condition, water supply, electricity, etc; To liaise with security agencies/ medical team stationed at QR for better coordination.

Task Force for COVID-19 members conducted a tour to every village within Shamator sub-division to take stock on how villages were preparing to welcome standard citizens, by inspecting quarantine centres and its facilities. According to DIPR report, the first group was led by EAC Shamator Wanmei Phom covering Sikiur A & B, Rurur A & B and Shongkyu villages. The second group was led by YTC vice president Kiuji covering Yakor and Sangphur villages, while third group was led by Shamator Public Forum president Yanhokiu covering Muleangkiur and Chassir villages.

The fourth group was led by 11 Ward Union Shamator Town president Akumkhiung covering Wapher and Laskiur villages. The fifth and final group was led by L. Shahoto Yimchunger information assistant cum convenor media cell TFfC-19 Shamator, covering Shamator and Leangkonger villages.

The respective groups met the village local authorities and inspected the quarantine centres.

Earlier the tour was kicked off

by ADC Shamator, Lankonsen Tsanglao.

Wokha DISTRICT

ADC Tening, Rhosietho Nguori along with chairmen of village councils on May 16. (DIPR)

Emergency meeting for accommodation of returnees

Additional deputy commissioner (ADC), Rhosietho Nguori, convened an emergency meeting with all the chairman of village councils under Tening sub-division at auditorium of Govt. High School, Tening on May 16.

According to DIPR report, ADC deliberated various agendas regarding accommodation of the returnees from outside the Tening sub-division with safety.

Extra assistant commissioner (EAC) Tumben P. Tsanglao shared the guide-

lines for quarantine centres and home quarantine.

Dr Neilasakuo Linyü, MO of CHC briefed about medical care and supervision system in quarantine centre. Sensitisationcum-meeting with village councils was to combat COVID-19 including how to operationalise quarantine centres, deployment of manpower and resources, stranded operating procedures on COVID-19 and to follow up the government orders and direction on COVID-19 related mat-

ters.

M e a n w h i l e, A D C Tening, has also requested to the government for one platoon of IRB for Tening town. A letter addressed to the deputy commissioner, Peren stated that the present police personnel at Tening town was not enough to handle the situation of curfew 144 CrPC. ADC said that as per standard operation procedure of quarantine centres one uniformed personnel was required in each quarantine centre.

Dimapur DISTRICT DC Dimapur on quarantine centre requisition DC Dimapur has notified on quarantine centre requisition for stranded people returning from outside the state post lockdown for Dimapur district.

According to DIPR report, the name of facility and location are: Iddgah Madrassa at

Golaghat Road; Jain Bhawan at Marwaripatti; Hindu community hall at Kalibari; Gurudwara Lodge at Marwaripatti and Durga Mandir Lodge at Marwaripatti.

Centres have been suggested by the respective com-

munities and duly verified by the accommodation committee together with Medical department and representative of commissioner of Police. This order comes into force with immediate effect and will remain in force till further order.

AVC issues guidelines for returnees

ACVA officials along with managing director, CMC during its observation of 6th foundation day. (DIPR)

Medical equipments provided for CMC Vankhosung

All Commercial vehicle Association (ACVA) Wokha donated medical equipments amount to about seventy thousand like oxygen cylinder, oxygen regulator, BP machine, pulse reader, weighing

nagalandpost.com Poll Q.: Are deprived daily wage earners getting adequate help?

100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

A B C

machine, Stethoscope, wheel chair and other materials to Christian Medical Center (CMC), Vankhosung, on its 6th foundation observed at its office chamber at New Riphyim Baptist Church build-

ing, Wokha on May 17.

According to DIPR report, after a short function the ACVA officials led by its president Yanithung Lotha visited CMC, Vankhosung to hand over the equipments.

Dr. Rilanthung Odyuo, managing director CMC during the short function held at the hospital complex thanked officials of ACVA for the generous contribution towards the hospital.

Zunheboto DISTRICT

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

A

B

Yes. No. Can’t Say.

C

60% 40% 0%

Next poll

Q: Should train services be

partially lifted or totally relaxed under extended lockdown?  Partially lifted.  Totally relaxed.  Can’t Say.

WEATHER FORECAST May 18

(Temperature in ºC)

Max Min

Agartala Partly sunny, hot and humid

36 25

Aizawl

Very warm with clouds and sun 32 20

Guwahati Warm and humid with hazy sun 35 22 Imphal

A t-storm around in the a.m.

34 16

Itanagar A strong morning thunderstorm 31 21 Shillong

Some sun with a thundershower 24 16

Kohima

Some sun with a thunderstorm 27 16

Dimapur Hazy sunshine

35 25

A strong a.m. t-storm, hazy

28 17

Tuensang A t-storm around in the a.m.

20 13

Mkg Wokha

Hazy sunshine

Zunheboto A t-storm around in the a.m.

28 20 25 15

DAPCU officials and other guests during the candlelight memorial programme on May 17.

Zunheboto DAPCU candlelight memorial programme

Zunheboto District AIDS Prevention and Control Unit (DAPCU) hosted the 37th International AIDS candlelight memorial ceremony at District Hospital Zunheboto on May 17.

The programme was attended only by officials and the guests maintaining protocol of social distancing. The scenario of district HIV and AIDS was presented by Dr. Mughalu Achumi MO Zunheboto, while the special guest was EAC Michietsho Koza. The guest

speaker said that those who were suffering from such pain should be respected and there should be no stigmatization against them.

He also urged the staff and officials to treat those patients and to protect their privacy to prevent any kind of harassment. EAC also said that during this COVID-19 pandemic, all the medical staff, security personnel and the district administration should work hand in hand. District programme officer (DPO-DAPCU) Hokishe

Chophy informed that patients were being looked after and taken care of properly with all necessary aids and provision of medicines to their door steps.

DPO further mentioned that there are currently 284 HIV and AIDS clients who were undergoing ART at the district ART Centre.

Event concluded with lighting of candles in remembrance of those who were suffering of this disease. Vote of thanks was delivered by Jubito K, DIS.

Aoyimti Village Council (AYC) has issued seven-point guidelines for those returnees who will be returning back to their homes from outside the state and will be residing within AYC jurisdiction.

In a press release, AVC chairman, Imnukloba and secretary, A. Polongnok Lkr said the guidelines will come into effect immediately and that the council has empowered Aoyimti Lanur Telongjem (youth forum) to supervise the implementation of guidelines within its jurisdiction.

NDRF conducts sanitisation drive

The guidelines are: Stranded returnees must inform the village council/ALT before entering the village; Returnees must produce valid travel documents and standard operating Procedure (SOP) report provided by the competent authority through Whatsapp (8794 629 096) for authentication, before entering the village; Until and unless the above two points are fulfilled the returnees shall not enter the village; All stranded returnee shall be compulsorily kept under home quarantine for 20 days from the day of

entry; Photocopy of the above mentioned documents must be submitted by the returnees to the village Council/ALT within two days from the day of entry; Returnees shall sign an undertaking or future references and non adherence to the guidelines will be dealt with stringent penalty.

Meanwhile, the council has directed any returnee both intra-state and inter-state who have already entered the village are to report with valid documents to the village council/ ALT immediately.

Kohima DISTRICT

One sub team of 12th Bn NDRF Doimukh carried out sanitisation drive in view of COVID-19 at the premises of 4th NAP Camp Kohima on May 17.

A press release from 12th Bn NDRF Doimukh stated that, NDRF team led by sub-inspector K. P. Singh sprayed sodium hypochlorite and water mixed solution in the office of commandant, quarter guard, MI room as well as gym hall and unit mandir etc. Team commander further explained that NDRF team will continue to do the same. Rescuers of 12th Bn NDRF fully equipped with PPE, sprayed the disinfectant with jet spray and NDRF personnel spraying disinfectant at the entrance gate to 4th NAP motorized spray machine. Camp Kohima.

Daily situation report in the state

State Home department issued the daily report on law & order and facilitation of essential goods & services in the state for May 17.

According to DIPR report, joint secretary Hiazu Meru while issuing the report informed that 2 (two) violations of the lockdown were reported and 6 (six) persons were bound down. However, no law and order incident has been reported in

any part of the state. As per the report, all essential commodity shops and medical shops were open in all the districts. There has been no report in the shortage of essential commodities.

No restriction has been imposed on the movement of commercial vehicles for distribution of essential commodities and service providers.

Suitable ar rangements made by the government for

providing food and shelters to migrant workers affected by the COVID-19 restrictions continue to function.

Accordingly, 2 (two) relief camps are active where 61 (sixty one) migrant labourers are housed and 4 (four) food camps are active.

Further, more than 698 (six hundred and ninety eight) daily wagers and needy people were provided food/dry ration.

4

OPINiON/EDITORIAL

Nagaland Post

Post-mortem

Vol. XXx NO. 161 Dimapur, MONDAY, MAY 18, 2020

A matter of life and death

T

here were some critical issues highlighted in the RTI application filed by prominent citizensNiketu Iralu, Robert N.Solo, Kuolachalie Seyie and Visedel Kin- on the department of health and family welfare with regard to the urgent/emergency purchases for COVID-19 pandemic after March 20.2020. The report was published in this newspaper on May 5,2020. Questions raised by the four applicants were indeed serious and which demanded adequate answers that satisfied all parameters of official procedures and legal validity. When the replies received from the department(H&FW) were found to be unsatisfactory, the four then decided to take the issue up with the state governor through a memorandum on May 11,2020. The applicants, pointed out that the department had bypassed laid down procedures to purchase various medical equipments such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), face masks of various grades, ventilators, surgical gloves, oxygen cylinders of specified grade, Dead Body Bags(DBBs)etc . What the four pointed out was that the department had not floated tenders, neither were designated Purchase Committee (PC) and Verification Committee(VC)/Quality Control Committee(QCC) involved in the entire process. In fact, the purchases were done by selecting the favoured firm(s) without obtaining the quoted rates, purchase rate with GST and MRP of items etc. The rates appeared to have been fixed/approved by a chosen few and also received by a few on behalf of the official committee and the records of which were not available in files nor were signatures of the officials appended, it was claimed. According to the applicants, the department claimed it had received till April 25,2020 a total of Rs.41,43,88,000 from various sources as preparation to contain COVID-19 pandemic. The department also said the purchases totalled Rs. 30,50,26,000 but only Rs. Rs.12,27,24,000 was paid leaving a balance of Rs.29,16,64,000. To pay the entire supply bill, the department further claimed it was still short of Rs. 1,33,62,000.What is strange is why didn’t the department release Rs.29,27,24,000 against the bill of Rs.30,50,26,000 due, instead of keeping it pending just for a deficit of Rs.1,33,62,000? What was worse, is the claim made by the four that almost all the items supplied were sub-standard, some did not have labels, while others did not have the information of the product, date of manufacture and expiry etc. In one instance, it was pointed out that a supplier supplied orders by doing away with the standard specification after writing a letter, informing that that the items were not of desired standard due to non-availability of standard packaging materials. The applicants reiterated their deep apprehension about something amiss when they said that even frontline workers such as doctors, nurses and health workers had rejected the equipments supplied by the department because they were substandard. Even some of the medicines purchased for use were allegedly about to expire with hardly one month shelf life. The sub-standard equipments with many bearing no labels nor information about the items and purchased with rates that are questionable were rejected by COVID-19 hospitals since these would certainly expose the workers to inherent danger from COVID-19. The issue is serious since it involves the lives of the frontline workers and the public. The memorandum has been submitted to the Governor and therefore, the ball is in his court and it remains to be seen what the outcome is going to be.

DailyDevotion His Ascension and Our Access

It came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.

—Luke 24:51 We have no experiences in our lives that correspond to the events in our Lord’s life after the transfiguration. From that moment forward His life was altogether substitutionary. Up to the time of the transfiguration, He had exhibited the normal, perfect life of a man. But from the transfiguration forward— Gethsemane, the Cross, the resurrection— everything is unfamiliar to us. His Cross is the door by which every member of the human race can enter into the life of God; by His resurrection He has the right to give eternal life to anyone, and by His ascension our Lord entered heaven, keeping the door open for humanity.

The transfiguration was completed on the Mount of Ascension. If Jesus had gone to heaven directly from the Mount of Transfiguration, He would have gone alone. He would have been nothing more to us than a glorious Figure. But He turned His back on the glory, and came down from the mountain to identify Himself with fallen humanity.

The ascension is the complete fulfillment of the transfiguration. Our Lord returned to His original glory, but not simply as the Son of God— He returned to His father as the Son of Man as well. There is now freedom of access for anyone straight to the very throne of God because of the ascension of the Son of Man. As the Son of Man, Jesus Christ deliberately limited His omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience. But now they are His in absolute, full power. As the Son of Man, Jesus Christ now has all the power at the throne of God. From His ascension forward He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Quotes

What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Nagaland Post, Dimapur MONDAY, MAY 18, 2020

T

he WESP warns that rapid surge in online activities will eliminate existing jobs.

The devastation caused by pandemic ensued lockdown may take ten long years to recover and the world economy may continue to be in severe crisis till 2030, forecasts UN report.

In 2020, global economy would shrink by 3.2 percent and in two years would lose $ 8.5 trillion, the UN World Economic Prospects and Situation 2020 (WESP) released on May 13 estimates. Online activities to cost jobs, it warns.

Amid such crisis India’s Rs 20 lakh crore package much through credit boost is far short of the needs. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s repackaging of the budget is a tough attempt to chalk out a path for presenting a bold government face.

May be a government, hamstrung with finances, about Rs 22 lakh crore production losses and revenue fall, is not in a comfortable situation to combat the impending situation. It can be criticised for not doling out enough cash but the reality is the Indian economy is in deep crisis with 1.2 to zero percent growth in 2020. The lockdown

Cash economy key to recovery has disturbed the production schedule, caused job losses, shrunk demand and uncertainty the world over has put the decision maker in a fix. The cash support, vital in this situation, the government may have wanted but could not muster it.

T h e G D P g r ow t h in developed economies, WESP estimates, will plunge to minus 5 percent in 2020. Global supply chains are to remain disrupted and world trade is forecast to contract by nearly 15 percent this year.

“The lesson we learnt from 2008 financial meltdown is that fiscal and monetary stimulus measures do not boost productive investments”, WESP says.

It is a difficult situation. So in the announcements of finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, government’s cash outgo apparently is limited to government funding of provident fund accounts of workers up to Rs 15000 a month salary and Rs 11,000 crore spending for migrant labourers – including free food grain of Rs 3500 crore.

It is all lending from the banks, NABARD or financial institutions as it happened in 2019, when total loans disbursed by banks increased from Rs

87.46 lakh crore to Rs 97.10 lakh crore.

The liquidity support to the MSMEs - micro, small and medium, employing about 12 crore; farm sector are either part of the Rs 30.42 lakh crore budget announcement or have a bit been modiShivaji f i e d . Fo r example the NABARD was earlier to spend about Rs 90,000 crore, now it would spend Rs 30,000 crore more for farm benefits – loans.

The “shishu” Mudra loans up to Rs 50,000 are to become liability for banks with further Rs 1500 crore interest subvention of 2 percent. The subventions alone are to help the banks as government would fund it. Most Mudra loans have turned into NPAs of Rs 17250.73 crore as on March 2019.

The addition is the loan for vendors, Rs 10,000 each to set up their business. Instead it could have given doles in two tranches to help the needy as well as earn goodwill. The outgo would have remained Rs 5,000 crore as announced.

The vendors could have become more self-reliant, atmanirbhar as Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants. No wonder many, like village artisans, small

retailers, poultry, tourism and restaurant sector, do not find support. Despite concern over migrants, the support system has yet to emerge.

The developing country economies are to shrink severely, says WESP. Overall 130 milSarkar lion people globally would slip to extreme poverty by 2030. This indicates that severity of the crisis would continue for ten years. The low-skilled, low-wagers would bear the brunt.

In such scenario, the FM’s promise to continue with free food programme and universal ration card should provide some succour. She says that for about 8 crore migrants the government created 14.62 crore person-day of work till May 13, free meals and now government would also ensure rented housing under PM Awas Yojana (PMAY) for them in cities.

The migrants actually have got little.

The MNREGS has spent Rs 10,000 crore in 43 days to employ 2.33 crore in 1.87 lakh gram panchayats.

It means the scheme would need about over Rs 85,000 crore against the present allocation of Rs 61,500 crore.

The government should also consider extending the

employment for 200 days from the present 100 days.

It means the allocation would have to double to Rs 170,000 crore – difficult job but it is worth for saving the distressed millions and creating demand.

In continuation of this, the FM says that Rs 6,000 crore CAMPA funds would generate jobs for tribals and adivasis in forest areas. This would ensure cash in their hands.

It appears there is dilemma on cash. On the one hand government recognizes its needs and is keen on boosting cash for farmers, rural and other workers at the same time is trying to boost digitization in an extremely poor society. Since 2016, many marginalized businessmen and the poor are suffering as the cash is not easy to have. The cash flow has to match the demand for fast-paced activities in the country.

It would also help overworked banks, which harass the de positors whenever they go for cash withdrawals. The depositor is treated like a pariah.

The WESP warns that rapid surge in online activities will eliminate existing jobs. “The net wage and employment effects could be negative, further aggravating income inequality”.

This is a grim warning and India must take corrective steps to boost cash.

It also hints at growing debt distress on developing countries, like India, further constraining their ability to implement stimulus measures.

This possibly explains the government’s restricted efforts in declaring the fiscal package. The GST earnings are Rs 30,000 crore in March and would be less than Rs 10,000 crore in April.

It should scrap Rs 90,000 crore aid announced for power distribution companies (discoms).

It is no wonder that income-tax refunds, a natural claim of the assessee, periodic reclassification of MSME categories, 25 percent cut in TDS on business deals have been projected in a big way.

The gover nment knows that savings of the people are becoming critical, its revenue earnings are suffering, economy is thawing and managing the affairs is becoming problematic in an unforeseen situation of corona lockdown. The UK is finding the unemployment doles too large and unaffordable. Expecting India to match it is unrealistic.

It is pragmatic to open up early, corona or not.

Delimitation exercise necessary in Nagaland The plague of Marseille in 1720

T

he Government of State of Nagaland since the who are less represented or India set up a Delimi- inception of the State hood with no representatives are tation Commission in in 1963 till date. As a result deprived of development 2002 with Justice Kuldeep of which there are a lot and employment facilities Singh as the Chairman and of disparities and unequal in the state’s quota for the the job was completed in representation in the State last 57 years and the years 2008. However, most of the Assembly in Nagaland. to follow as all the facilities North Eastern States could The communities or and provisions are implenot be affected by the de- tribes having more repre- mented with approval of limitation exercise because sentatives, MLAs, Ministers the Legislature. of unsuitable situations in the Nagaland Legislative Fa c t s a n d f i g u r e s prevalent during that time. Assembly are consequently clearly show the unequal The state of Nagaland also given a superficial advantage representation in the state opted for the then existing and are observed to be domi- of Nagaland. Some of the status-quo till the addition- nating most of the State Constituency-wise disparial Assembly Constituency Government’s development ties taking into account seats were provided. and employment opportu- their respective population Therefore, delimitation nities whereas the minor- and voters are as reflected exercise could not affect the ity communities or tribes below:On one hand, we have, Assembly Constituency Projected Population 2020 Electorates as per final e-roll 2020 27 Mokokchung Town AC 11094 7329 23 Impur AC 15687 10148 31 Akuluto AC 12876 9939 29 Jangpetkong AC 17379 11430 Whereas on the other hand, we have constituencies like:Assembly Constituency Projected Population 2020 Electorates as per final e-roll 2020 1 Dimapur-I AC 61883 23805 2 Dimapur-II AC 132404 55304 4 Ghaspani-I AC 142535 68383 6 Tening AC 55686 27124 7 Peren AC 54249 29669 9 Kohima Town AC 72923 32031 12 Tseminyu AC 65623 24283 38 Wokha AC 66087 29457 40 Bhandari AC 50550 24808 60 Pungro Kiphire AC 50807 29247 Source: Election Department Nagaland data.

The above facts and states such as Assam, Ma- welcome step and it is an figures clearly show the nipur, Arunachal Pradesh, earnest appeal to the Cominjustice in dispensation of Nagaland and Jammu & mission to do the job with utmost justice and fairness justice and fairness on dis- Kashmir. tribution of the Assembly This time delimitation without political influence Constituency seats in Na- exercise is coinciding with and major tribes’ pressure galand. Therefore, delimi- the Naga political solu- etc but purely based on tation exercise is urgently tion and new population population-voters, tribal and imperatively needed census2021. Therefore, it and regional considerations in the state of Nagaland. is more significant to do in delimitation of the AsNow the Government of the job more effectively sembly Constituencies in India has appointed Justice and efficiently given the Nagaland.

Khinyi Woch, President, Ranjana Prakash Desai to situations. lead the Delimitation exTherefore, the delimi- Rengma Public Organisation Kohima ercise in the North eastern tation exercise is a most

C

Try to find out solutions

orona Virus has made the world suffer a lot. The pandemic has affected the Global economy market, Schools, Institutes, Offices, in fact everything. Life has taught us an alternative method to tackle all the difficulties that has risen. In this pandemic COVID-19, our lifestyle has taken a drastic change from morning till night. Everyone is trying to overcome it in every possible way one can. Government at their best trying to fight against this outbreak. Doctors, nurses, helpers and all the health-workers risking their life and trying to save the patients at their best possibilities? NGOs at their best trying to serve the needy. Offices at their best doing their work. Personnel at their best trying to protect the citizens of the country. Education system even though school doors are closed but education is being availed through digital platforms. But it has been noticed that some of the students are facing problem yet as they are not able to avail the digital platforms because unavailability of required gadgets at their end. So my question is how to help such students? So in this regard let us all come up with some sort of help for them. Survey your colony and find out those students (if any) and try to communicate with them whether they are getting everyday lesson. If in case they are lagging behind then try to find out solutions. You can share your number to the respective school group which means it will be a help sharing your unused data (MB). Be a source of tutor.

Piya Chakraborty, Chümoukedima Hindu Youth

I

n 1720, one cargo France ship carrying Silk and Cotton docked in France Port of Marseilles; a Turkish Sailor died in the Ship of a mysterious disease. Soon, several other Sailors got infected and died including the Surgeon. Doctors therefore quarantined the Ship in the Port.

But rich Merchants, their influential friends including the Deputy Mayor of Marseille who owned the Ship, began to say it is great loss to the Economy of the country to lock up the entire Ship: at least the precious Silk and Cotton could be released keeping the Sailors quarantined in the Ship.

The Government felt it could not afford to lose the valuable goods. It unloaded the goods and moved them to the City unaware of infected Rats in the goods.

The rats got transported into the City and infected the people.

Within a short time the disease spread in the in the city and 50,000 of the 90,000 the population of Marseilles died. People from Marseilles ran away to other cities of the country to escape the plague and spread it over the whole of France. The Government of France at one point of time even built a Wall around Marseilles to stop the epidemic from spreading to other cities; but could not. For three years, the epidemic killed such a great number of the population that there were not enough Graveyards to bury the dead; everywhere dead bodies were strewn in the city. At last the people realized the Economy may die but it can be revived later however when the people died, the loss cannot be recouped. It is very much hoped, the Government of Nagaland is surely doing what it should; and what it should is actually not very complicated.

There is no medicine against the crown looking Virus. Medicine is not the cure to it at this point of time. The only cure for the plague is to avoid contact with people from Outside of Nagaland possibly carrying the Virus in them.

Thank God, not a single inside Nagaland is suffering from the Corona Virus.

The only route the Virus can enter Nagaland is through the few Entry Points of Dimapur, Merapani, Nagachari, Tuli, Naginimora, Tizit and a few other Village Paths.

Once these Points are managed fool-proof, the whole of rural Nagaland is safe.

The whole interior Villages of Na-

galand is strictly and efficiently following the ‘Lock down’ Order of the Government.

They do not permit even pallbearer of their dead to enter the Village beyond the Village Gate. The botheration of Amitabachan or Dr. Misra, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister to tell the uneducated people again and again to wash their hands or not to go inside the respectable distance of 1.5 meter from others is practically not necessary between the Villagers same of the same Village and known well to each other.

The other day the Government appeared to have gathered all sorts of NGOs and Departments from every sundry places of Nagaland to deliberate on the issue of safe management of the Corona virus menace in Nagaland.

The atmosphere of the very necessary Meeting, -as it appeared in the News Paper’s- did not seem serious enough business: There were too many Speakers appeared wanting only to let others notice them speak than have candid proposal for the control of the pandemic; and there were profuse praises from one another to please one another Officer or Department.

Who needs such grey dullness of superficial governmental praises? They indicate lack of seriousness of business at hand.

The Naga Traditional & Cultural condor appeared missing in the meeting: Nagaland does not need to parrot the ambience of other places.

The Writer does not intend to nor is it qualified to delve into the details of management for the control of the disease, it would only mention that these anxious days is a great time of opportunity for the Government of Nagaland to manufacture Trust of the People on the Government.

The first action towards that END would be for the Government to candidly show to the Public: i. How the Funds were received and ii. How they were spent. iii. Concentrate on the checking and managing the entry points to nagaland to prevent the crown virus entering the state. iv. Entrust reasonable freedom to the village and church authorities to manage the government lockdown.

Thepfulhouvi Solo

Reader’s Post

Right time for setting up small scale industries

Sir,

There has been many instances where individuals and NGO’s of Nagaland have started making face masks after the pandemic occurred, which is very much appreciated, and also has been of great help for all, even including the frontline workers.

However, this trend should not end even after the pandemic times are over.

Nagas should take this pandemic as a sign of calling, where one can make the masks for local consumption only, and the government can also encourage its denizens to use face masks which are locally made, for the welfare and benefit of the state.

T. Imtiyanger Pongen, Padumpukhuri, Dimapur

Reader’s note: Articles or letters published in any of the columns do not reflect the view of this newspaper nor that of the Editor in any manner.

national

Nagaland Post, Dimapur MONDAY, MAY 18, 2020

Centre unveils fifth and finale 5th tranche of eco package tranche of economic package will revitalise village eco: PM

NEW DELHI, MAY 17 (PTI): The fifth and last tranche of economic stimulus announced by the government on Sunday will boost entrepreneurship, help public sector units and revitalise the village economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said.

He also said the stimulus will have a transformative impact on India’s health and education sectors.

“Reform trajectories of the states will also get an impetus,” he said in a tweet.

The government on Sunday announced suspension of new bankruptcy filings on loan defaults for one year and raised the threshold for insolvency as it moved to ease COVID19 pain for the industry.

“Measures and reforms announced by the FM today (Sunday) will have a transformative impact on our health and education sectors.

“They will boost entrepreneurship, help public sector units and revitalise the village economy,” Modi said.

In the fifth and final tranche of the economic stimulus package, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman raised the allocation for the employment guarantee scheme by Rs 40,000 crore over and above the Rs 61,000 crore budgeted for MGNREGS to provide jobs to migrant workers moving back to their states.

This, she said, will help generate nearly 300 crore person-days in total.

For states, she said the Centre has acceded to their request and increased borrowing limit from 3 per cent of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) to 5 per cent for 2020-21 only, giving them extra resources of Rs 4.28 lakh crore.

But the increased borrowing limit would be linked to specific reforms such as one-nation-oneration-card, ease of doing business, power distribution and urban local body revenues.

In his address to the nation on Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi had introduced massive new financial incentives on top of the previously announced packages for a combined stimulus of Rs 20 lakh crore.

Violations of airspace by Chinese choppers in Himachal

SHIMLA, MAY 17 (IANS): Chinese helicopters violated Indian airspace twice in Himachal Pradesh last month, officials revealed on Sunday. The intrusions were taken up with the central authorities appropriately by the state government, an official told IANS. The first intrusion was reported on April 11 and the second on April 20.

In both incidents, a Chinese helicopter was observed flying on the Indian side of the in-

ternational border close to Sumdoh in Spiti subdivision, he added. Sumdoh is located on the border of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts and is manned by the state police.

Beyond Sumdoh, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel are deployed. Himachal Pradesh shares a porous border with China and smuggling of rare species of fauna and Chinese goods like blankets and thermos flasks across the border is quite frequent.

(From p-1) 5. Decriminalisation of Companies Act defaults: Decriminalisation of Companies Act violations involving minor technical and procedural defaults such as shortcomings in CSR reporting, inadequacies in Board report, filing defaults, delay in holding of AGM. The Amendments will declog the criminal courts and NCLT. 7 compoundable offences altogether dropped and 5 to be dealt with under alternative framework.

6. Ease of doing business for Corporates: Direct listing of securities by Indian public companies in permissible foreign jurisdictions.

Private companies which list NCDs on stock exchanges not to be regarded as listed companies. Including the provisions of Part IXA (Producer Companies) of Companies Act, 1956 in Companies Act, 2013. Power to create additional/ specialized benches for NCLAT. Lower penalties for all defaults for Small Companies, One-person Companies, Producer Companies & Start-Ups. 7. Public Sector Enterprise Policy for a New, Self-reliant India: The government will announce a new policy whereby- List of strategic sectors requiring the presence of PSEs in the public interest will be

notified. In strategic sectors, at least one enterprise will remain in the public sector but the private sector will also be allowed. In other sectors, PSEs will be privatized (timing to be based on feasibility etc).

- To minimise wasteful administrative costs, the number of enterprises in strategic sectors will ordinarily be only one to four; others will be privatised/ merged/ brought under holding companies.

8. Support to State Governments: Centre has decided to increase the borrowing limits of States from 3% to 5% for 2020-21 only.

This will give States extra resources of Rs. 4.28 lakh crore.

Part of the borrowing will be linked to specific reforms (including recommendations of the Finance Commission).

Reform linkage will be in four areas: universalisation of ‘One Nation One Ration card’, Ease of Doing Business, Power distribution and Urban Local Body revenues.

A specific scheme will be notified by the Department of Expenditure on the following pattern: Unconditional increase of 0.50%, 1% in 4 tranches of 0.25%, with each tranche linked to clearly specified, measurable and feasible reform actions, further 0.50% if milestones are achieved in at least three out of four reform areas.

Top Hizbul commander, soldier killed in encounter in JK’s Doda

A scene during an encounter between the security forces personnel and the militants, in a village in Gundana area of Doda district, Sunday. (PTI)

DODA/JAMMU, MAY 17 (PTI): A top Hizbul Mujahideen commander wanted in the killing of an RSS functionary and his PSO was killed in a gunfight with security forces in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, officials said.

An Army personnel also lost his life in the five hour-long encounter which started when the security forces launched a joint

search operation in PostaPotra village in Gundana area, 26 kms from Doda town, following information about presence of some terrorists, they said.

The officials said the search operation is going on as security forces are searching the debris of the three-storied house which was raised to the ground during the encounter.

“We have recovered the body of a terrorist from

the scene of the gunfight so far who was identified as Tahir Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Malangpora village of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

“The deceased was a close associate of newly appointed Hizbul Mujahideen operational chief Saifullah and was assigned the task of reviving terrorism in Chenab valley region,” Inspector General of Police, Jammu Zone,

Govt plan for containment in urban areas calls for roping in political, religious leaders

N E W D E L H I , M AY 17 (PTI): With a bulk of COVID-19 cases coming from urban settlements, the government has suggested deploying additional manpower in these areas and roping in local political and religious leaders for communicating all aspects of coronavirus disease prevention measures as residents are “more inclined to trust them”.

It has also decided to identify an “incident commander” in urban settlements, who will be tasked with planning, operation, logistics and finance to implement an Incident Response System. The commander will report to the area municipal commissioner. In a document, the Health Ministry said these settlements in cities have poor living conditions and are often overcrowded, with many people crammed into very small living spaces. And hence physical distancing, isolation and communicating the risk of infectious respiratory diseases -- such as COVID-19 -- to the dwellers could be challenging.

So the Urban Local

Bodies need to prepare for responding to any possible outbreak. The document, a set of guidelines for preparedness and response to COVID-19 in urban settlements, outlined steps to do it and setting up an Incident Response System and engaging community leaders were part of the measures.

“Community groups are key to creating awareness on COVID among these populations. Use of local (political, religious and opinion) leaders for communicating all aspects of the COVID prevention and control is vital as dwellers are more inclined to trust them,” it said. The trained manpower available on www.covidwarriors.gov. in will be contacted for their readiness to deployment at short notice. The document said a coordination committee will be formed under the leadership of the “incident commander” and would comprise representatives from departments like health, women and child development, elected representatives and NGOs already serving the area.

The guidelines called for all risk-communication

intervention to address psycho-social and stigma issues, particularly in local languages, and to put up posters outside community toilets and water points, and use of cable TV channels to create awareness.

Community groups should also popularise adoption of Aarogya Setu application, it said. The document was released on Saturday as Health Secretary Preeti Sudan, Rajesh Bhushan, OSD, Health Ministry, and other senior officers held a review meeting with principal health secretaries, municipal commissioners, DMs and other officials from the 30 municipal areas contributing almost 80 per cent of the country’s COVID-19 cases.

These 30 municipal areas are BrihanMumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Jaipur, Nashik, Jodhpur, Agra, Greater Chennai, Ahmedabad, Thane, all Delhi MCs, Indore,Howrah, Kurnool, Bhopal, Amritsar, Villupuram, Vadodara, Udaipur, Tiruvallur, Aurangabad, Cuddalore, Greater Hyderabad, Surat, Chengalpattu, Ariyalur, Palghar, Berhampur, Solapur and Meerut.

Mukesh Singh told reporters in Jammu.

Describing his killing as a major setback to Hizbul Mujahideen and a big success for the security forces, he said the slain terrorist was part of the group which shot dead an RSS functionary along with his personal security officer in nearby Kishtwar district in April last year. He was also behind the fabrication of an IED which was used in an abortive attempt to target a CRPF convoy at Banihal along the JammuSrinagar National Highway in March last year, the officer said.

“Bhat’s killing will create a huge deterrence to the revival of militancy in Chenab valley, in its infant stage. The Doda district has virtually been cleared of terrorism once again and the plan of the terrorist to carry out attacks on security forces has been thwarted,” Singh said.

The senior police official said the AK assault rifle, which was seized from the dead terrorist, was the same which had been taken away by militants after kill-

ing the RSS functionary and his PSO. Briefing about the encounter, the IGP said a joint operation was launched late Saturday night following information about presence of the Hizbul Mujahideen commander in a house in the village.

“The village is about five to six hours of walk from the last motorable road. The search parties came under fire from the target house around 7 am, triggering an encounter which lasted for five hours and resulted in the killing of the Hizbul commander,” he said. Officials said an Army jawan was critically injured in the initial firing from the holed up terrorists and later succumbed to injuries while being evacuated to hospital.

The IGP said Bhat had joined terrorism early last year and was directed by his mentors to target the security forces and carry out some “sensitive and sensational” attacks in Chenab Valley to create insecurity among the people and disturb the peaceful atmosphere.

5 state

DDCF appeals govt to help Nagas stranded in Tripura D I M A P U R , M AY 1 7 (NPN): Dimapur District Citizens’ Forum (DDCF) has appealed to Government of Nagaland to immediately contact the governments of Tripura and Assam to provide safe passage for people of Nagaland stranded in Tripura at the

earliest.

The appealed followed reports that people from Nagaland stranded in Tripura wanted to return home, but the Assam government denied entry of their vehicles from Tripura into Assam.

DDCF also appealed to chief ministers and gov-

ernments of all the Northeastern states to have better co-ordination and provide safe passage to all interState travellers to reach their respective home while maintaining all lockdown rules, and fight the pandemic collectively keeping in mind “safety and humanity”.

Border: Borlengri residents call for...

(From p-1) The GBs and chairman claimed there were thousands of people from the area serving in the Nagaland government in different districts and thousands of students studying at different schools at Dimapur town and elsewhere.

Cautioning that sealing of border

could adversely affect daily movement of people living in the area, they said it also could not be made practically applicable.

This was stated in a press note issued by Borlengri-I village committee sessional chairman, R. Meren Walling and sessional secretary Mhao Odyuo

Review use of schools, hostels...

(From p-1) Many hostels have single dormitories with shared bathrooms, toilets and common mess areas, while dormitories were not built for isolation but for facilitating social interaction. Extensive infrastructure work is required to turn these private schools/ hostels into safe quarantine facilities.

Moreover, quarantine facilities require trained manpower to run them by strictly following safety norms, but private schools did not have trained staff.

Also, it would be difficult to turn over private schools

to people who would not be familiar with the infrastructure and facilities of the hostels.

Finally, many schools had residential staff with families living inside the school campus and had no other place to go to.

Thus, ANPSA Central urged the government to first use other facilities like private hotels, government hostels and other government buildings or build temporary quarantine facilities away from city centres.

Mentioning that no one knew how long the lockdown would go on or

when the schools would reopen to run normally, the association urged the government to kindly support the private schools and allow their staff to focus on teaching uninterruptedly during this time of crisis.

The release was issued jointly by ANPSA Central president Nini Sekhose, vice-president Fr Jacob Charalel, adviser Pheluopfelie Kesiezhie, ex-officio adviser Bithungo Kikon, adviser Rev M Savi, joint secretary Abalie Medoze, general secretary PJ Nathan, treasurer Leneno Disong and publicity secretary Ashuli Apil.

Added cost to lockdown education

(From p-1) A substantial number of parents are also not well educated to be in any position to teach children, a task that is generally left to tuition teachers.

Each child has to have a mobile for use during online study and parents with three or four school going children have to purchase that many mobile phones so that each child can do the homework/assignment etc.

Another point that has been noticed is that a parent from a lower middle income group and having three or four schooldoing children has to spend huge amount to buy required mobile smart phones.

The bill for purchase of smart phones

is a burden as much as having to still pay for school fees without any classes.

Parents from most lower middle income group would afford to spend between Rs.5000 to Rs.6000 for a mobile; whereas the price for a fairly good mobile smart phone varies anything from Rs.10,000 and above. Therefore, the budget for three or four mobile smart phones would mean spending Rs.30,000 to Rs.40,000 as per the current rates and availability in the market.

Quite obviously, children these days are smart enough not to accept mobile phones that aren’t smart enough for them.

The lockdown is certainly changing life but for some, it comes with a price.

Priyanka urges Yogi to allow Cong ferry migrants NEW DELHI, MAY 17 (PTI): Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday urged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to allow the party ferry migrant labourers back home in buses arranged by it and kept ready at the state border. She made the appeal in a video message posted on Twitter, a day after 24 migrant workers were killed and 36 injured when a trailer rammed into a stationary truck, both carrying passengers, on a highway near Auraiya in Uttar Pradesh.

“Respected chief minister, I am requesting you, this is not the time for poli-

tics. Our buses are standing at the border.

Thousands of labourers and migrants are walking towards their homes without food or water and after fighting all troubles.

Let us help them. Give permission to our buses,” she said.

In another tweet, she said, “Our buses are standing at the border. Thousands of nation-builders workers and migrants are walking in the sun. Give permission Yogi Adityanath ji. Let us help our brothers and sisters.” She also put out a video of the buses standing at Uttar Pradesh border ready for plying.

Cyclone ‘Amphan’ intensifies into severe cyclonic storm BHUBANESWAR/KOLKATA, MAY 17 (PTI): Cyclone Amphan gathered strength and intensified into a severe cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal on Sunday, raising the likelihood of heavy rainfall coupled with high-velocity wind in several coastal districts of Odisha and parts of West Bengal, officials said.

It is likely to cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Sagar Islands in West Bengal and Hatiya islands in Bangladesh between afternoon and evening of May 20 as a very severe cyclonic storm, Regional MeT Director in Kolkata G K Das said.

According to a bulletin issued by the weather office at 2 pm, AMPHAN (pronounced as UM-PUN) moved slowly northwestwards with a speed of 3 kmph and intensified into a severe cyclonic storm.

It lay centred about 980 km south of Paradip in Odisha, 1,130 km southsouthwest of Digha in West Bengal and 1,250 km southsouthwest of Khepupara in Bangladesh. It is likely to intensify further into a very severe cyclonic storm during

the next 12 hours and then move nearly northwards slowly during the next 24 hours.

Thereafter, it is likely to re-curve north-northeastwards and move fast across northwest Bay of Bengal and cross West BengalBangladesh coasts between Sagar Islands and Hatiya islands between afternoon and evening of May 20, said H R Biswas, Director of the Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar.

Under its impact, the coastal districts of Gangetic West Bengal, including North and South 24 Parganas, Kolkata, East and West Midnapore, Howrah and Hooghly are likely to experience light to moderate rain at many places with heavy downpour at isolated places on May 19, Das said.

On May 20, rainfall will occur in many places over the districts in Gangetic West Bengal, with heavy to very heavy downpour in North and South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts, he said.

In Odisha, ‘Amphan’ is likely to trigger heavy rainfall in some parts of Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Jag-

Marine police personnel patrol Puri beach to prevent tourists and fishermen from venturing into the sea due to Cyclone Amphan, in Puri, Sunday. (PTI)

atsinghpur and Kendrapara districts, while moderate rainfall will lash other coastal areas Monday onwards, the MeT Centre said.

Light to moderate rain or thundershower is likely to occur at most places over coastal Odisha, while heavy to very heavy rainfall will lash some places over the coastal areas on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Light to moderate rain or thundershower will occur at many places over north coastal Odisha and some places over the rest of the districts of Odisha on May 20 and 21. There will be

heavy rainfall at some places over Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts on these two days, it said.

Sq ua l l with spe e d reaching 45-55 kmph and gusting to 65 kmph is likely to commence along and off the south Odisha coast from May 18 evening. Wind with similar speed is also likely along and off Odisha coast from May 19 morning.

The wind speed will increase becoming gale. Wind speed reaching 75-85 kmph, gusting to 95 kmph from May 20 morning is likely along and off the north Od-

isha coast.

At present, squally wind speed reaching 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph is prevailing over southeast and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal.

It is likely to increase, becoming 125-135 kmph gusting to 150 kmph over southern parts of central Bay of Bengal by Monday morning, 160-170 kmph gusting to 190 kmph over northern parts of central Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Bay of Bengal on May 19 and 155-165 kmph gusting to 180 kmph over north Bay of Bengal on May 20.

6

international

Nagaland Post, Dimapur MONDAY, MAY 18, 2020

IS militants, policeman US reopening with or without vaccine : Trump 6killed in attacks in Iraq

oversees distribution for the US Army, is to serve as chief operating officer.

Speaking after Trump, Slaoui said he was “confident” that a “few hundred million doses of vaccine” will be delivered by the end of 2020.

He acknowledged in an earlier interview with the New York Times that the timeline was ambitious, but said he “would not have committed unless I thought it was achievable”.

Many experts say a

vaccine is the only thing that will give Americans confidence in fully reopening the economy in the absence of widespread testing.

“I don’t want people to think this is all dependent on a vaccine,” he said. “Vaccine or no vaccine, we’re back. And we’re starting the process.”

“In many cases they don’t have vaccines and a virus or a flu comes and you fight through it,” he added. “Other things have never had a vaccine and they go away.”

“I think the schools should be back in the fall [autumn],” Trump continued.

Earlier this week Dr Anthony Fauci, who serves on the coronavirus taskforce and appeared wearing a mask at the Rose Garden conference, testified to the Senate that it would be a “bridge too far” for schools to reopen in the autumn “Even at the top speed we’re going we don’t see a vaccine playing in the ability of individuals to get

back to school this fall,” Dr Fauci said.

As Trump spoke on Friday, lorry drivers who have parked around the White House for several weeks blared their horns in protest against low wages, neither for nor against the president. “Those are friendly truckers. They’re on our side,” Trump said.

“It’s almost a celebration in a way.”

At one point, the president - who wore no mask - instructed a reporter to remove hers so she could be better heard over the noise of honking as she addressed him.

Dr Fauci and other experts have strongly suggested that a vaccine will take at least a year to develop.

When the Ebola outbreak struck between 2014-16, it was not until December 2019 that the US Food and Drug Administration approved its first vaccine.

Some health experts have remained sceptical about the rapid timeline for development and distribution proposed by the

Israel PM says govt should annex West Bank settlements

Roadside explosion kills 6 in Afghanistan’

‘Pak backing plan for another 9/11-type attack’

Benjamin Netanyahu Benny Gantz signed an agreement on Monday to form an emergency coalition government that would end a year of political deadlock.

Netanyahu’s new unity government, agreed with retired military chief Benny Gantz, was due to be sworn in later in the day, with the agree-

Khost, May 17 (Agencies): A roadside bomb targeting health care workers exploded injuring six people, the Afghan Army said on Sunday. “Unfortunately, six civilians were injured in this roadside explosion, including the assistant to the Khost Public Health commissioner and three doctors,” the Afghan National Army’s 203rd Thunder Corps said in a statement.

The explosion took place at an undisclosed time on Saturday and all the injured were taken to Khost Civil Hospital for emergency treatment, the statement read. The blast comes at a time when the Taliban has increased attacks on civilians and authorities in the country.

Jerusalem, May 17 (Agencies): Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the new unity government should apply Israeli sovereignty over West Bank settlements.

“It’s time to apply the Israeli law and write another glorious chapter in the history of Zionism,” Benjamin Netanyahu said on the issue of Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.

“These territories are where the Jewish nation was born and grew,” he said of the settlements.

“This measure won’t distance us from peace, it will bring us closer.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his centrist election rival

Donald Trump speaks about administration efforts to develop a vaccine during a coronavirus disease pandemic response event in the Rose Garden at the White House.

and logistical endeavour unlike anything our country has seen since the Manhattan Project.”

Tr u m p n a m e d a n Army general and a former healthcare executive to lead the operation, a partnership between the government and private sector to find and distribute a vaccine.

Moncef Slaoui, who previously led the vaccines division at pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, will lead the mission, while Gen Gustave Perna, who

Crossword

ment between the formal rivals opening the option of moving ahead with annexation.

Such a move was likely to cause international uproar and inflame tensions in the West Bank, home to nearly three million Palestinians and some 400,000 Israelis living in settlements considered illegal under international law.

In his speech, Netanyahu said there was no question that the “hundreds of thousands of our Jewish brothers in Judea and Samaria will always stay in their place as part of any final peace agreement”.

Judea and Samaria is the Hebrew and biblical term used by Israel to refer to the West Bank.

Islamabad, May 17 (IANS): Afghanistan’s former spy chief has warned that the Pakistan-backed Haqqani network (HQN) is helping banned Islamist terror group al-Qaeda to plan another 9/11-style terror attack against the West.

In a series of tweets posted on Sunday, the former director of Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS), Rahmatullah Nabil revealed that al-Qaeda continues to be backed by the HQN based in Pakistan.

“If state sponsors of terrorism in the region are not stopped we will see another 9/11-style attack in future. Al-Qaeda’s alZawahiri, Abu Muhammad Al Masri and Saif ul Adel are still planning attacks in the West with the backing of

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White House.

“I don’t understand how that happens,” said Dr Peter Hotez, co-director of the Medicine Coronavirus Vaccine Team at Baylor College, on CNN after Trump’s announcement.

“I don’t see a path by which any vaccine is licensed for emergency use or otherwise till the third quarter of 2021,” he added.

Dr Rick Bright, an ousted US vaccines director who has accused the White House of exerting political pressure around coronavirus treatments, testified to Congress on Thursday that such vaccines often take up to a decade to develop.

‘Warp Speed’ is the latest of several Covid response projects Washington has undertaken. In March, the White House launched a testing initiative, enlisting major pharmacy retailers to set up drive-through testing sites throughout the country. Such partnerships have stalled, however, and the US has faced continued criticism for its lags in testing.

the HQN which is based in Pakistan,” he tweeted.

An offshoot of the Taliban, the HQN headed

by Maulvi Jalaluddin’s son Sirajuddin Haqqani, is an Afghan Islamist terror group fighting against the US-led NATO forces and the democratically elected government of Afghanistan. The network in the 1980s was backed by the CIA during the Ronald Reagan administration to fight against the Soviets in Afghanistan.

Jalaluddin Haqqani for his network, recruited Arab national Osama bin Laden who later founded al-Qaeda with a pan-Islamic objective.

Al-Qaeda remains closely associated with the HQN whose objective of establishing Islamic rule is restricted to Afghanistan.

The former director of

Bag h da d, M ay 1 7 (IANS): Six Islamic State (IS) militants and a policeman were killed in two attacks in the provinces of Salahudin and Diyala, security sources said.

In Salahudin province, the paramilitary Hashd Shaabi artillery pounded IS positions in al-Zarga area, in east of the provincial capital Tikrit, some 170 km north of Baghdad, leaving six IS militants killed, the Hashd Shaabi said in a statement on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.

In the eastern province of Diyala, a policeman was killed and an officer wounded when IS militants opened fire on their police checkpoint in al-Abbara area in northeast of the provincial capital Baquba, located some 65 km northeast of Baghdad, Ahmed al-Shimmary from the provincial police said.

The attacks came as the extremist IS militants intensified their attacks on the security forces, including Hashd Shaabi forces, and civilians in the Sunni

NDS in a series of tweets on Sunday said, “Sirajuddin Haqqani and his senior commanders are running the commission responsible for overlooking the foreign fighters.”

Yahya Haqqani is the overall liaison for the HQN with foreign fighters, Nabil said.

“From ETIP (East Turkistan Islamic Movement), AQIS (Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent) to AQC (Al-Qaeda Central) all these are the strongest allies of HQN leadership, in particular Sirajuddin Haqqani and his hard boys which gives HQN leverage and control over the wider Taliban movement thus striking fear in those who oppose them in the movement,” the Afghan security expert said.

provinces which once were under the control of IS militants, since the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, resulting in the killing and wounding of dozens of people.

Earlier in the day, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said that the Iraqi forces will launch a major offensive to eradicate IS militants, and that the Hashd Shaabi forces will be at the forefront of the security forces in the upcoming offensive.

The security situation in Iraq has been improving since Iraqi security forces fully defeated the IS militants across the country late in 2017.

However, despite repeated military operations against the IS remnants, IS militants are still hiding in deserts, rugged areas as well as in Himreen mountain range which extends in the provinces of Diyala, Salahudin and Kirkuk. They are capable of carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.

Nabil revealed that Abdul Rauf Zakir also known as Qari Zakir, the chief of suicide operations of HQN with a bounty of five million dollars on his head, had been killed in a drone strike along with Hamza bin Laden (Osama’s son) in Ghuzguri area of Kurram Agency.

“The death of Hamza bin Laden was confirmed in September 2019 by US President Donald Trump.

But no one talked about the place of his death and that he was together with Qari Zakir in Kurram Agency!

Hamza bin laden was killed with Qari Zakir in the same drone strike,” he tweeted.

The Taliban particularly HQN have never denounced al-Qaeda, the former NDS director pointed out.

Possible rare coronavirus signs include Covid toes, rashes B o s t o n , M ay 1 7 (Agencies): Skin doctors suddenly are looking at a lot of toes — whether by emailed picture or video visit — as concern grows that for some people, a sign of COVID-19 may pop up in an unusual spot.

Boston dermatologist Esther Freeman expected to see skin complaints as the pandemic unfolded — various kinds of rashes occur when people get very ill from other viruses.

“But I was not anticipating those would be toes,” said Freeman of Massachusetts General Hospital, who has viewed via telemedicine more toes in the last several weeks than in her entire career.

They’re being called “COVID toes,” red, sore and sometimes itchy swellings on toes that look like chilblains, something doctors normally see on the feet and hands of people who’ve spent a long time outdoors in the cold.

Don’t race to the emergency room if toes are the only worry, said the American Academy of Dermatology.

Earlier this month, it issued advice that a telemedicine check is the first step for people wondering if they have “COVID toes” and who have no other reason for urgent care. Doctors then should decide if the patient should stay in home isolation or get tested.

The most common coronavirus symptoms are fever, a dry cough and shortness of breath -- and some people are contagious despite never experiencing symptoms. But as this bewildering virus continues to

This photo provided by Northwestern University shows discoloration on a teenage patient’s toes three days after the onset of COVID toes. spread, less common symptoms are being reported including loss of smell, vomiting and diarrhea, and increasingly, a variety of skin problems.

In one report, dermatologists evaluated 88 COVID-19 patients in an Italian hospital and found 1 in 5 had some sort of skin symptom, mostly red rashes over the trunk. In another, Spanish doctors reported a series of 375 confirmed virus patients with a range of skin complaints, from hives to chickenpox-like lesions to the toe swellings.

Pictures of reddened toes and rashes all over social media and doctor chat groups have “already enabled the rapid recognition of skin signs by dermatologists. It is now time for rigorous science” to understand the link, Dr. Kanade Shinkai of the University of California, San Francisco wrote in a recent JAMA Dermatology editorial.

Boston’s Freeman directs an international COVID-19 registry for doctors to report cases of

possibly virus-linked skin symptoms. Of 500 reports since late March, about half are chilblain-like spots on the feet, she said.

Chilblains, what doctors call “pernio,” are an inflammatory reaction.

When pernio-like reactions appear in coronavirus-infected patients is one of many mysteries. For some people, it’s the first or even only symptom they notice.

Others see the toe problem at the same time or even a few weeks after experiencing more common and serious COVID-19 symptoms.

It’s showing up in young people too, according to Dr. Amy Paller of Northwestern University, who is part of a pediatric dermatology registry also collecting images of patients’ toes.

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Washington, May 17 (IANS): US President Donald Trump says the US will reopen, “vaccine or no vaccine”, as he announced an objective to deliver a coronavirus vaccine by year end.

He likened the vaccine project, dubbed “Operation Warp Speed”, to the World War Two effort to produce the world’s first nuclear weapons.

But Trump made clear that even without a vaccine, Americans must begin to return to their lives as normal, the BBC reported on Saturday.

Many experts doubt that a coronavirus vaccine can be developed within a year.

Speaking at a White House Rose Garden news conference on Friday, Trump said the project would begin with studies on 14 promising vaccine candidates for accelerated research and approval.

“That means big and it means fast,” he said of Operation Warp Speed. “A massive scientific, industrial

northeast

Nagaland Post, Dimapur MONDAY, MAY 18, 2020

61 to 286: Covid cases see huge spike in NE

G U WA H AT I / AG A R TALA, MAY 17 (IANS): In around two weeks, the northeast states have seen a huge increase in the number of coronavirus cases, even as they also face the Himalayan challenge as hundreds of thousands of stranded people have started to return to their homes.

According to the health officials, as on May 1, there were 61 coronavirus cases in six of the eight northeastern states. But by May 17, the tally had mounted to 286, with an abrupt rise in the number of cases in Tripura and a steady increase of infection in Assam.

Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and health officials in Manipur attributed the rise in corona cases to the return of people to their homes in the region.

In Tripura, the rise is due to infections among the 159 Border Security Force (BSF) personnel of two battalions (86th and 138th) and their family members.

Manipur had reported its first case of coronavirus on March 24 when a 23-year-old woman who returned from the UK tested positive, making it the first case in the northeast region, which is home to only four

Migrants from various parts of Assam arrive at Dibrugarh Railway Station, during the ongoing nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus, in Dibrugarh, Sunday. (PTI)

per cent of the country’’s population.

With no positive case reported from Sikkim and Nagaland, two other northeastern states - Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram - currently have no active cases as two patients, one each in two states, have recovered and discharged from the hospitals.

On May 1, Assam with 42 positive cases and one death was leading in the corona cases in the northeastern region. But on Sunday (May 17), Tripura leads the tally with 167 of the total

cases, among which 101 are active, followed by Assam with 96 (51 active and two deaths), Meghalaya 13 (1 active and 1 dead) and Manipur with seven cases, of which five are active cases.

All the latest five coronavirus-infected people, including three women, returned to Manipur from Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.

According to the health officials in Guwahati, the lone corona patient from Nagaland, a trader, who had been admitted to the Guwahati Medical College and

Hospital (GMCH) on April 12 after he tested positive.

The patient was released from the GMCH earlier this month after he recovered from the dreaded virus.

The Nagaland government continues to maintain that there is no positive case in the state, while the Assam government’’s coronavirus update makes no mention of the 33-year-old trader’’s case either.

Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh held several meetings through video link

with senior North Eastern Council (NEC) officers and officials of northeastern states as well representatives of different government bodies and public sector units.

Singh, appreciating the steps of the state governments of the region in dealing with the COVID19 management, had on April 27 declared five of the eight northeast states -- Sikkim, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura -- coronavirusfree after the patients of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura recovered from the disease.

Meanwhile, for the past four-days, the three-member central team continued their study about the coronavirus infection among the BSF troopers and their kin, visiting 86th and 138th Battalion headquarters in Ambassa, 82 km north of Agartala, on Sunday and different parts of Dhalai district, including India-Bangladesh bordering areas.

The central team, led

by G.K. Medhi, Professor and Head of the Department of Community Medicine, of the Shillongbased North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute

Manipur Muslim body urges Arunachal seeks Rs 1.6 cr not to relax lockdown on Eid for culling AFS-infected pigs

Correspondent

IMPHAL, May 17: A Muslim-based body in Manipur on Sunday urged the state government not to relax the COVID-19 lockdown and public curfew and to enforce it on Eid ul-Fitr day which falls on May 23 or 24.

Manipuri Muslim Online Forum (MMOF) feared that the state government may consider relaxing the lockdown on the day and drew the attention of the state chief minister not to consider the same in the backdrop of rising COVID-19 positive cases in the state.

The entire state is currently under indefinite curfew since March 24 last and during the nationwide lockdown 3.0, the state government made some relaxations during the day time, from 6 am till 2pm everyday for people buy their daily needs while allowing shops

to open except on Sundays.

On the other hand, with the entry of citizens from the state stranded at various parts of the country, the number of COVID-19 positive increased as some returnees tested positive on arrival.

So far, Manipur has reported seven COVID-19 cases including five who recently returned from Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata.

The fresh positive cases were reported after two earlier cases recovered from the disease. “……we request the Manipur government to impose public curfew for at least the two-three days (May 23 and 24)” in order to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, a press statement of the MMOF stated.

MMOF was agonised with the increasing number of positive cases since the start of arrival of state people stranded outside the state due to the lockdown

AR issue statement on firing in Londging

kohima, May 17: On the cross fire with NSCN (I-M) in Longding, Arunachal Pradesh the,Indian Army started that it received intelligence inputs in the last few days regarding movement and activities of NSCN (IM) cadres in Longding District.

A press release by PRO ( Defence) stated that eventually on on 16 May, based on the specific input regarding presence of insurgents in village Pumao, the troops of Indian Army launched a search operation in general area Pumao.

The release stated there was a gathering of villagers which started protesting against security forces and resorted to stone pelting. AR stated its troops identified suspicious move-

ment and started moving towards a house which drew two to three bursts of fire on Indian Army party.

Civilians were told to disperse and to safeguard lives and property controlled retaliation was resorted by firing eight single shots, the release stated.

In the melee, insurgents managed to escape.

However, in the cross fire, it is believed few villagers got hurt and one expired.

Indian Army offers condolences to family of the deceased villager, the release

by PRO added.

Many soldiers of Indian Army also got injured due to stone pelting by supporters of NSCN (I-M).

Indian Army remains firm on its ideal of service before self, nation first, the release added.

More than 400 NE people set to return from abroad: Tripura Min

Agartala, May 17 (PTI): Over 400 people from the Northeast, including at least 87 from Tripura, are stranded in Bangladesh, Russia and Ukraine, and the Centre is taking necessary measures to bring them home, a minister here said.

Addressing a press conference at the civil secretariat, Tripura education minister Ratan Lal Nath said the Ministry of External Affairs, in association with the Home Ministry, was making all efforts to ensure the safe return of the people stuck abroad amid the COVID-19-induced lockdown.

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via train and private vehicles, it added.

Endorsing state chief minister’s slogan “Let people live first, celebrations and others can take place later”, the MMOF said that Eid-ul-Fitr this year is going to be celebrated in selfisolation, which seems to go against the spirit of Eid. Around the world, Eid is a holiday celebrated with the community, from praying together in the Masjid or Idgah to visiting our extended family to giving Zakat al-Fitr to the needy.

It added that though one cannot leave the house, one can dress up, decorate the house and plan fun activities for the kids.

“If the past few weeks have taught us anything, it’s that we don’t need as much as we think we do and it’s possible to have a fun and meaningful time at home with limited resources and create beautiful memories,” the MMOF said.

Itanagar, May 17 (PTI): The Ar unachal Pradesh government has requested the Centre for a financial package of Rs 1.6 crore in the first phase to cull 4,500 pigs infected with African Swine Fever (AFS) in East Siang and Papum Pare districts of the state, a senior minister said on Sunday.

The ASF outbreak in the state in April has claimed the lives of a few thousand pigs and wild boars, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister Tage Taki said.

“I had placed the demand for financial assistance during a video conference of Union Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries Minister Giriraj Singh with all the state ministers on May 14,” Taki told PTI. More assistance will be sought in subsequent phases, he said.

Animal Husbandr y and Dairy Development Joint Director Dr Techi

Taku put the death toll of pigs in the state due to ASF at 2,253 so far.

“The toll is likely to increase as reports of more deaths of pigs and wild boars are pouring in from various districts and authorities are compiling the data,” Dr Taku, also the state nodal officer for animal health, said. The minister said he had also urged the Centre to approve a Rs 200-crore state government project to develop grazing lands for bovine animals like Mithun and yaks, which are “backbone of the rural economy of the state”.

He said the state is facing problems in egg production due to high cost in the procurement of poultry feeds from Odisha and Assam and sought the Centre’s assistance in this regard.

He also sought the Centre’s help in establishing a research centre for farming of high altitude varieties of fishes found in the state.

COVID-19 : Hotspot Bethany hospital in Shillong sanitised

File photo of Bethany hospital, Shillong.

Correspondent

Shillong, May 17: A private-owned Bethany hospital in Shillong was sanitised on Sunday after it was shutdown for 31 days after its founding director had tested positive and died for Novel Coronavirus.

Meghalaya Health and Family Welfare Minister Alexander Laloo Hek said that the private hospital can resume its service only after the government approved the findings of Meghalaya State Pollution Board and Shillong Municipal Board.

“Let the State Pollution Board and Shillong Municipal Board inspect the entire hospital building

and its surroundings and if they are satisfied with their findings, the government will sit and decide accordingly,” Hek said. Dr. John L. Sailo Rynthathiang, who was the founding director of Bethany hospital was the first COVID-19 patient and died two days after he tested positive for the virus.

13 positive cases have been detected so far. Out of these, one is still active and 12 have recovered fully.

“The sanitisation was done under the purview of Directorate of Health Services based on the Hospital Infection Prevention & Control guidelines by National Centre for Disease Control, Ministry of Health

& Family Welfare,” Bethany Hospital Spokesperson, Dr. Kyntiewlang Sanmiet said.

“Once disinfection is done, a thorough clean-up will follow as per the said guidelines,” he added.

Dr Sanmiet thanked the Commissioner and Secretary of Health Department, Sampath Kumar and Director of Health Services (MI), Dr. Aman Warr for helping them in this process.

“We look forward to restoring our fabric of care and feel more determined than ever to once again serve our patients with compassion, care and commitment,” he added.

of Health and Medical Sciences, is studying the source and other aspects of the coronavirus infection among troopers, officials and their family members.

Once a malaria-prone northeastern region, home to 45.58 million populations (2011 census), is facing a major challenge as hundreds and thousands of stranded people are started returning to their homes by train, buses and other vehicles.

“Inadequate testing facilities in the entire NE region, insufficient or poor health infrastructure, topographical positions and poor communication systems made the situation more difficult for the authorities,” renowned health administrator in Guwahati Sushanta Barua told IANS over phone.

The health and civil administration officials and ministers in the region while talking with IANS are concerned about the daily spike in Covid-19 positive cases in Assam, Tripura and Manipur as a huge number of people are entering into the region from other parts of the country where they were stranded since the lockdown was first imposed on March 25.

7 COVID-19: Assam releases over 3,550 inmates to decongest jails Guwahati, May 17 (PTI): Over 3,550 inmates, including 300 lodged in detention camps, have been released from jails across Assam since March to decongest the prisons in the wake of novel Coronavirus pandemic, a senior official said on Sunday.

Of them, around 1,700 prisoners were released following a Supreme Court ruling in the wake of the outbreak of COVID-19, while others got out of jails as per normal legal procedure, Assam Inspector General of Prisons Dasarath Das said.

He said the state’s 31 jails currently house 8,510 inmates against the sanctioned capacity of 8,938.

“We have released a total of 3,577 inmates so far from different jails across the state since the coronavirus crisis emerged in March.

This includes 3,161 undertrials, who were released on bail and personal bonds,” he told PTI. Das said 101 convicts have been allowed to go home on annual leave, while 15 more were released on parole.

Eligible convicts get 30 days of annual leaves for emergency purposes as

per rules. “We have also released 300 people from detention camps after the Supreme Court order. At present, there are 479 inmates in six detention camps,” the IG said.

“With only 8,510 inmates, we are at a comfortable level now and implementing social distancing norms inside jails. Though we have released a huge number of prisoners, new inmates are coming in regularly. That is why the total number is not going down drastically,” he said.

Citing an example, Das said 76 prisoners were released on May 15, but 60 new inmates came in on the same day, resulting in only 16 effective releases from jails.

The state has six central jails, 22 district jails, one open-air jail, one special jail and one sub-jail. Besides, there are six detention camps to lodge suspected and declared foreigners.

On March 23, the Supreme Court had directed all states and Union Territories to constitute high-level committees to consider releasing on parole or interim bail prisoners and undertrials for offences entailing up to 7-year jail term.

Storm hits Karbi Anglong; several houses damaged

A house ravaged by the storm.

DIPHU, MAY 16: Several houses were damaged after being hit by a cyclonic storm at Tekelangjun (Bagpani) under Dokmoka Police station area here on Saturday afternoon, reports The Northeast Today. No casualty was reported.

One Somit Killing, a local resident of Jonasing Killing village, told this

reporter that a storm which occurred around 2:30 in the afternoon lasted for one hour and damaged many houses in Tekelangjun area.

The effected villages include Takara Bey, Bahin Tokbi, Jeng Ronghang, Jonasing Killing and Orchot Taro.

It was reported that

Huge stock of cannabis seized

6, including 4 returnees injured in road accident in Assam

B o k a jan, M ay 1 7 (AGENCIES): In a major development, the Khatkhati police have seized a huge consignment of banned Ganja from a container truck along Assam-Nagaland border here on Sunday. Police have also arrested two person including the driver and helper of the truck in connection.

As per reports, based on specific information, the police personnel manning the Khatkhati interstate police check-post over NH 39 intercepted the incoming truck bearing registration number AS 01HC 0068 and recovered cannabis concealed inside the vehicle. A total of 210 kilograms of cannabis wrapped in black tarpaulin were recovered from the truck. The approximate face value of the seized cannabis is estimated to be around INR 21 Lakh in the black market.

Police have arrested one Riju Rajbonshi of Nalbari and Pranjal Deka of Mangaldai in connection. A case under relevant section of NDPS Act has been registered against the duo and further investigation is on to ascertain the exact details of source and delivery of the seized item. There has been a recent spike in smuggling of banned drugs and goods of Burmese origin into Assam through Karbi Anglong.

TURA, MAY 17 (AGENCIES): Six people including four returnees from Chennai, hailing from Garo Hills, were injured in a road accident near Dudhnoi under Goalpara in Assam on Saturday morning, reports The Northeast Today.

Shockingly, the injured persons were reportedly were denied services over ‘protocol’ issues by a ‘108’ ambulance that had been pressed into service in the district of North Garo Hills.

The accident took place on Saturday morning leading to the driver, handyman and 4 returnees from Chennai suffering minor injuries.

As per sources, details of the accident was then informed to the receiving team in Berubari under Bajengdoba, where one of the magistrates on duty informed the ambulance on duty at the check point to assist those injured and take them to Tura.

However the ambulance, on standby duty for COVID – 19, refused to budge saying protocol needed to be followed and calls needed to be made by the helpline before they could move.

“An ambulance from Dudhnoi, Assam attended

some poor families are badly affected after getting their houses blown away.

Expressing pain and grief, Killing said many properties like aracanut plants have been destroy by the storm. No domestic animals and birds were killed.

Till now, none of the authorities have reach the village, said killing.

to the injured and they were then rushed to Tura where their injuries were attended to,” informed superintendent of police (SP), North Garo Hills, Abraham T Sangma.

However, the refusal of the 108 services to take up a call for those injured despite being informed and standing ready for duty did not go down well with many, with some people even condemning the attitude of the employees in question.

A resident from the district questioned the need for ambulances if this was how responses were taken up.

Meanwhile, inclement weather, along with a poor section of the road led to another accident on the NH 51 near the village of Asuragre in West Garo Hills. The incident took place at about 4:30 am on Saturday morning.

“There were no major injuries and the bus was moving towards ISBT with returnees from Chennai.

Those with minor injuries were given medical care.

Cranes were pressed into service, with one being provided by the BSF to retrieve the bus that went off the road,” informed SP of West Garo Hills, Dr MGR Kumar.

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8

sports

Ankita, Sharan nominated for Arjuna

Ankita Raina

New Delhi, May 17 (PTI): Asian Games medal winners Ankita Raina and Divij Sharan are set to be nominated for the Arjuna award by the national tennis federation, which plans to send former Davis Cup coach Nandan Bal’s name for the Dhyan Chand honour.

The 27-year-old Ankita had won a women’s singles bronze medal at the 2018 edition of the Asian Games and also dished out a strong performance in the Fed Cup, where she played a key role in India’s qualification to the World Group play-offs for the first time.

Delhi-lad Sharan had won gold medal in the men’s doubles event in Jakarta along with compatriot Ro-

Divij Sharan

han Bopanna. He also became India’s top doubles player in October 2019 before Bopanna took back the position.

The 34-year-old also won two ATP titles in the 2019 season -- Tata Open Maharashtra in Pune with Bopanna and at St. Petersburg with Igor Zelenay.

“They are eligible and most deserving this year for the Arjuna honour. We will recommend their nomination,” All India Tennis Association (AITA) Secretary General Hironmoy Chatterjee told PTI. Ankita grabbed the spotlight with her gritty performance during the 2018 Fed Cup where she remained unbeaten in singles.

Since then she has be-

come India’s best singles player on the WTA and ITF circuit, winning six USD 25k level titles and also achieved a career-best singles rank of 160 in March this year.

At this year’s Fed Cup, Ankita played eight matches in five days, winning two singles and three crucial doubles games with the seasoned Sania Mirza to help India qualify for the playoffs for the first time.

Bopanna was the last tennis player to get the Arjuna award in 2018.

The AITA is still deliberating whether Bal’s application be sent for Dronacharya award or Dhyan Chand award, which is meant to honour lifetime contributions.

“We are contemplating which category is bettersuited for Nandan,” said Chatterjee.

H owe ve r, r e l i a b l e sources in the All India Tennis Association (AITA) told PTI that Bal’s application will be sent for the Dhyan Chand honour.

Bal, 60, appeared in Davis Cup between 198083, playing two ties with a 2-1 win-loss record. He remained India’s Davis Cup coach for many years.

Till date, only three tennis players have got the Dhyan Chand honour -Zeeshan Ali (2014) , SP Misra (2015) and Nitin Kirtane (2019).

No tennis coach has ever got a Dronacharya award.

‘Too early to compare Azam & Kohli’

Babar Azam

Virat Kohli

K a r ac h i , M ay 1 7 (IANS): Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan feels Babar Azam cannot be compared to Virat Kohli just yet as he still has a long way to go. Babar, 25, was recently appointed as Pakistan ODI captain. He was already the T20 skipper of the side. While 31-year-old Kohli is widely regarded as the current best batsmen in the world across formats, Babar has been hailed by commentators and experts

as the next big thing in batting.

“You see, Kohli - who is now 31 and at the peak of his career - has been in international cricket for over a decade and has proved himself in all conditions. The 70 international centuries that he has scored is a testimony to his class and abilities,” Younis was quoted as saying by Gulf News.

“Babar, on the other hand, made his interna-

tional debut barely five years back. He already has 16 centuries under his belt and shows very good averages in both Tests and ODIs, but it will be unfair to start comparing the two right now. If you have to, compare Babar five years (from now) with the dominance that Kohli is showing in his game today,” he added.

Younis further said Babar’s eagerness to learn will take him far.

“Babar made his debut during the last two to three years of my career and I was really impressed by his humility. I have always felt that the more humble you are, you can achieve bigger goals in your life,” he said.

“It’s a young team that he has to lead, though there could be a few players senior in age to him. He has to be protective about the team and take it forward,” he advised.

Pak agrees to tour Eng in July K a r ac h i , M ay 1 7 (PTI): The Pakistan Cricket Board has agreed to a Test and T20 tour of the coronavirus-ravaged England in July but will not force players to agree for the assignment should they have reservations owing to the pandemic.

PCB chief executive Wasim Khan told a news channel that Pakistan has agreed “in principle” to the tour comprising three Tests and three T20 Internationals.

“We had a very detailed and comprehensive discussion with the ECB on Friday regarding the tour and PCB has now agreed in principle to send our cricket team to England in July,” Wasim said.

During the discussions with the English board held via video link on Friday, it was agreed that Pakistan would play the matches behind closed doors at grounds which have hotels inside the ground.

Khan said he will brief Test captain Azhar Ali and ODI and T20 captain Babar Azam on the tour next week, adding that all players will be briefed fully on England’s preparations for the tour.

London, M ay 1 7 (Agencies): Unai Emery has criticised Mesut Ozil’s “attitude and commitment” during his time as Arsenal head coach and says the rest of the squad did not want the German to be captain.

Emery was sacked in November after the club suffered their worst run of form since 1992 and was initially replaced with Freddie Ljungberg before Mikel Arteta was handed the job permanently.

Ozil was rarely trusted as a regular starter during Emery’s reign and made just one Premier League appearance in the first 10 games of the season, but his former boss insists he tried his best to help him.

“I spoke a lot with Ozil,” Emer y told The Guardian. “He has to be self‑critical too, analyse his attitude and commitment.

I tried with all my might

Nick Kyrgios and Andy Murray

Murray, however, appears to be one of his few rivals Kyrgios respects, with the Scot having defeated Djokovic in both the 2012 US Open and 2013 Wimbledon finals.

Djokovic, however, leads their head-to-head record 25-11 and has won

17 Grand Slam singles titles to Murray’s three.

That didn’t stop Kyrgios telling Murray: “I think you should have one of the best careers ever. I think you are better than Djokovic.

“Djokovic was playing dodgeball on my serve and you were slapping it for a

Indian Olympic Association seeks financial assistance for sports bodies New Delhi, May 17 (PTI): The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Sunday requested the Sports Ministry to sanction onetime financial assistance of over Rs 200 crore for various sports governing bodies in the country, saying sponsors won’t come forward until next year making “hand-holding by government” a necessity.

Citing the halt on sports activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, IOA President Narinder Batra, in a letter to Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, said if help is not granted, it would be difficult to restart operations smoothly once the lockdown to contain the virus is lifted.

Batra requested the ministry to grant Rs 10 crore for the IOA, Rs 5 crore each for National Sports Federations (NSFs) of Olympic sports, Rs 2.50 crore each for the nonOlympic sports NSFs and Rs 1 crore each for the State Olympic Associations. This adds up to approximately Rs 220 crore.

“Due to the the ongoing pandemic and lock-

down, we the sports bodies are unlikely to get any Sponsorship and hence we may find it very difficult to restart our activities effectively,” he wrote.

“We do not see sponsors coming forward till/ and after Olympics in 2021 to assist us and hence we will require handholding by the Union Gover nment,” he added.

Batra said the assistance will “enable them to tide over the cash crunch being faced by them”.

“The whole world now is facing an Extreme Difficult time due to the Covid -19 Pandemic...It (the pandemic) has affected the business, employment as well as the Sports Activities in their respective countries,” he said.

“All sports competitions training and other related activities have come to a standstill and now in order to restart all these activities, it will require lot of financial support to IOA/ NSFs/SOAs,” he added.

Batra, who also heads the International Hockey federation (FIH), said the the IOA is ready for an audit of the funds if they are allotted.

“After the pandemic when restrictions are lifted, we then will have to restart and rebuild all over once again. There are many conditions which will now be attached with running of daily affairs and they will require money/cash to implement,” Batra said.

“We will have no objection for providing with the funds utilization certificates, duly certified & verified by C&AG approved auditor/s,” he added.

I n t e r e s t i n g ly, t h e Olympic body and its member NSFs had donated close to Rs 9.5 crore to the PM CARES and various Chief Minister’s Relief funds to fight the pandemic.

Mesut Ozil must analyse his attitude, says Emery to help Ozil. Throughout my career, talented players have reached their best level with me. I was always positive, wanting him to play, be involved.”

In pre-season I told him I wanted to help recover the best Ozil. I wanted a high level of participation and commitment in the dressing room. I respected him and thought he could help. He could have been a captain but the dressing room didn’t want him to be. That’s not what I decided; that’s what the players decided. Captains are ones who have to keep defending the club, the coach, team-mates.”

Arsenal failed in their bid to sign Zaha after Palace turned down a £40m bid and refused to lower their £80m asking price. The Gunners then opted for Pepe, who joined from French club Lille for a fee of £72m.

“I told them, ‘This is the player I know and want.’

You are better than Djokovic: Kyrgios tells Murray

L O N D O N, M ay 1 7 (Agencies): Nick Kyrgios told Andy Murray on Saturday the British tennis star was better than world number one Novak Djokovic, claiming the Serb “dodges” his serve while the Scot “is on it like a light”.

By his own estimate Kyrgios had drunk six glasses of wine when he logged on from his Canberra home for an Instagram live chat with Murray that started after midnight for the Australian.

“My knowledge and interest in red wine has gone incredibly up during this quarantine,” said Kyrgios, well known for his withering comments about leading tennis players, even though the undeniably talented world number 40 has never gone beyond the quarter-finals of a major championship.

Nagaland Post, Dimapur MONDAY, MAY 18, 2020

winner. He was trying to dodge it, you were on it like a light.”

Murray responded by saying: “The results would suggest otherwise.”

Kyrgios has endured a rocky relationship with Djokovic, once describing the Serb’s post-match

‘cup of love’ celebrations as “cringeworthy”.

Djokovic, claimed the Australian, had a “sick obsession with wanting to be liked”.

In one of the less bizarre parts of their Saturday conversation Kyrgios asked Murray, who has long been sidelined with hip, and more recently, thigh injuries when he might be back on court following the coronavirus outbreak.

Murray, who celebrated his 33rd birthday on Friday, said: “I feel pretty good I was doing well before the injury at the Davis Cup. I think when things get back to normal I think I will be alright.”

Kyrgios suggested the pair should play doubles together, prompting a wry Murray to reply: “Only if you promise to behave, you said you were going to.”

expensive and Palace didn’t want to sell. There were a series of decisions that had repercussions.”

Shkodran Mustafi says Mikel Arteta has all members of the Arsenal squad “on board” and believes the club is destined for greatness under the guidance of their former player.

The Germany defender has been reflecting on what impact Arteta has made at the club since joining in December.

“He’s a little like a professor,” Mustafi tells Sky Sports News.

“He knows exactly where he wants the players to be when on the ball and how to react when losing the ball. It’s very special. When I pass I am usually only focused on where to be if we Mesut Ozil and Unai Emery lose the ball but he wants I met Zaha and he wanted but we need to win now me to contribute offensively to come,” Emery said. “The and this lad wins games.’ He too. So we constantly need to make an option for the club decided Pepe was one beat us on his own.” for the future. I said: ‘Yes, “It’s also true he was player on the ball.”

‘European season will finish in August’

London, M ay 1 7 (Agencies): UEFA has a plan to finish the 2019-20 season by August, including the Champions League and Europa League campaigns, the European soccer governing body’s president Aleksander Ceferin has said.

The majority of European league seasons were suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic but a few leagues have announced plans for a restart in the coming weeks.

The French and Dutch top-flight campaigns have been cancelled but the German Bundesliga restarted on Saturday and Ceferin expects at least 80% of national leagues to finish their seasons.

“We have an idea but we have to wait for the executive committee of UEFA to confirm the dates.

Aleksander Ceferin

I can say that the European season will be finished, if everything is as it is now, in August,” Ceferin told beIN Sports.

“As things look now, I’m sure... that we can finish the European season and this means UEFA competition. I think the majority of leagues will finish the season. The ones who will not, it’s their decision. But they will still have to play qualifiers if they want to participate in the European

UEFA competition.”

Both the Champions League and Europa League are yet to complete their last-16 matches.

Paris St Germain, who were declared Ligue 1 champions, are looking to play their Champions League games abroad after the French government said professional sports would not be allowed to return before September.

“Paris St Germain and Lyon... will have to organise (matches) in France,” Ceferin added. “If this is not possible, (they) will have to organise it at a neutral ground. If you cannot play in your country, then you have to organise it at a neutral ground... I don’t see the reason why French authorities would not allow them to organise a match without spectators, but let’s see. It’s out of my power.”

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