May 6 2021

Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com

Vol XXXI No. 149

DIMAPUR, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021 Pages 8 ` 4.00

City reach UCL final with 4-1 win over PSG

Follow us on

nagalandpostofficial

Watch us on YouTube

@Nagaland_Post

sports, Page 8

Third wave of Covid ‘inevitable’: Centre NEW DELHI, MAY 5 (PTI): As the virus mutates further, a third wave of COVID infection is inevitable and it is necessary to be prepared for new waves, the government’s Principal Scientific Advisor K Vijay Raghavan cautioned on Wednesday.

With active cases climbing to 34.87 lakh in India, the top scientific officer said it was not expected that the second wave would hit the country with such ferocity.

“Phase three is inevitable given the higher levels of circulating virus, but it is not clear on what time-scale this phase three will occur. We should be prepared for new waves,” he said.

Raghvan said although vaccines are efficacious against new mutations like the UK one and the double mutant, surveillance and vaccine updates are needed as the virus mutates further.

The virus has now adopted a “hit and run lifestyle”.

Also, a combination of less cautionary measures and low immunity in the population from the first wave

Total lockdown in East Khasi Hills

Correspondent

An inconsolable family member while performing the last rites of a Covid victim, Wednesday. (PTI)

is driving the second wave, which has killed thousands and infected lakhs of people across the country.

Many factors contributed to this second wave and variants are one of the factors, he said. The first wave peaked in September last year and cases started falling substantially. The first wave declined because

of two factors, he said.

“As infections rose, so did immunity among those infected. A combination of the standing level of immunity in the population and cautionary steps halted the spread of the first wave,” he said. But as the cautionary steps declined, new opportunities for infection arose and the level of immunity

among the population is often not enough to stop the infection spread. Raghavan said that distancing can exponentially bring down the spread.

“The virus can only go from human to human,” he said, stressing on following COVID- appropriate behaviour.

It may be mentioned

State records 287 fresh Covid cases D I M A P U R , M AY 5 COVID-19 STATUS AS ON May 5, 2021 (NPN): Nagaland’s total ACTIVE CASES Covid caseload crossed the Symptomatic AsDeath Mi15000-mark on Wednesday District ympRecovTotal under Critical-ICU Death gratCases tomInvestiMod- Se- With- With On ered after 287 fresh Covid-19 ed atic Mild erate vere out Oxy- Ventigation positive cases were reported Oxygen gen lator from across the state.

Dimapur 1318 111 11 20 0 0 3 6488 84 0 350 8385 Dimapur reported 221 Kiphire 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 40 1 0 0 45 cases, Kohima- 29, two in Kohima 422 16 4 1 0 3 1 4066 22 0 69 4603 Tuensang while Kiphire, Longleng 9 5 0 0 0 0 0 13 0 0 9 36 Longleng, Peren, Phek and Mokokchung 19 7 3 0 0 0 0 194 5 0 13 241 Zunheboto reported one Mon 16 15 0 0 0 0 0 594 3 0 9 637 case each, taking the total Peren 7 1 0 0 0 0 0 507 0 0 1 516 caseload to 15004 while the Phek 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 61 0 0 0 64 active cases stood at 2038.

Tuensang 26 3 0 0 0 0 0 252 2 0 2 285 Meanwhile, a total of Wokha 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 36 1 0 2 43 2,20,399 persons have been 0 3 149 inoculated against Covid- Zunheboto 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 139 0 Total 1834 158 18 21 0 3 4 12390 118 0 458 15004 19 (1,73,842 first dose and 46,557 second dose) *10 deaths not due to Covid-19 *0 deaths under investigation

SHILLONG, MAY 5: Meghalaya government on Wednesday announced total lockdown in East Khasi Hills, including Shillong from 8 p.m. of May 5 till May 10 in view of spike in Covid-19 cases in the state. This was announced by chief minister Conrad Sangma after reviewing the situation in the State.

Meghalaya on Wednesday recorded six Covidrelated deaths, the highest number of fatalities on a single day, since the onset of the pandemic. The State also reported 269 fresh cases taking the active cases to 2,135. It was also reported PTI adds: A record 3,780 fresh T welve states, including Maharashthe total occupancy of beds COVID-19 fatalities were registered in a tra, Karnataka, Kerala and UP, have more in hospitals across Shillong single day in India taking the death toll to than 1 lakh active COVID cases, the govhas reached 60 per cent.

2,26,188, while 3,82,315 new coronavirus ernment said on Wednesday. infections were recorded, according to the Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Union Health Ministry data updated on Bengal, Rajasthan and Bihar are among the states that show increasing trend in daily DIMAPUR, MAY 5 (NPN): Wednesday.

With the fresh cases, the total tally of cases, it said State-owned oil marketing From May 1, 6.71 lakh people in the companies (OMCs) hiked COVID-19 cases in the country climbed age group of 18-44 years in nine states have prices of petrol and diesel to 2,06,65,148.

Registering a steady increase, the been administered the vaccines, it added. across in the country by 19 The government also said that 24 paise and 21 paise per litre active cases have increased to 34,87,229 respectively Wednesday as to comprising 16.87 per cent of the total states and UTs show more than 15 per cent cover for their losses on hold- infections, while the national COVID-19 COVID positivity rate.

On vaccination, Union Health Mining back price rise for past 18 recovery rate was recorded at 82.03 per istry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said the days due to state elections, cent, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The number of people who have total doses administered till now was 16.05 IANS news agency reports.

After today’s rate revision, recuperated from the disease surged to crore. While 12.31 crore people above the petrol price in Dimapur, 1,69,51,731 while the case fatality rate age of 45 years have been vaccinated, the soared to Rs.89.74 per litre has further dropped to 1.09 per cent, the number is at 1.58 crore among healthcare workers. and diesel price increased data stated. to Rs.83.33 per litre. In the state capital Kohima, petrol price surged to Rs.90.69 per litre and diesel price climbed to Rs.84.10 per litre.

Treatment charges: DIMAPUR, MAY 5 (NPN): weeks, along with a similar The State government has increase in the number of The government also asked directed all private hospi- such patients requiring hos- the private hospitals to keep treatment charges of Covidtals to provide treatment pitalisation.

Projections made for 19 patients reasonable, while to Covid-19 patients as per the standard operating pro- the number of ICU beds, insisting that additional cedure (SOP) and reserve oxygen-supported beds and charges on account of reat least 50% of their bed ward beds were discussed quirement for treatment of capacity in normal wards at the State-level Covid war Covid-19 patients over and and ICU for treatment of room and it was felt that pri- above the normal charges vate hospitals should reserve for the same service for Covid-19 patients.

In an order issued in at least 50% of their beds for non-Covid patients provided this regard, health & family treatment of Covid-19 pa- by the hospitals should be welfare principal secretary tients to meet the emergency transparently charged and Amardeep Singh Bhatia said requirements. The need for be reasonable.

District Task Forces (DTFs) mobilising resources availThe rates must be notiwould ensure compliance of able in private hospitals to fied by the hospital authority the directive. The develop- ensure effective manage- and displayed prominently “I don’t know if he needs ment comes in the wake of ment of Covid-19 patients for wide visibility, it oroxygen. He started having the incidence of Covid-19 was also discussed with dered. chills after liquor shops cases in the State witness- representatives of private Guidelines for screenclosed.” ing a spike over the last few hospitals on May 3 and 4. ing, testing: The govern-

Record rise in daily deaths 12 states over 1L active cases

Fuel prices hiked

that America’s top public health expert Dr Anthony Fauci had suggested the government marshal all its resources, including the armed forces, to immediately build makeshift field hospitals, and urged other countries to help with not only materials but also personnel.

Fauci, who is the chief medical adviser to US President Joe Biden, also called for a nationwide lockdown, not necessarily for six months but “for a few weeks” to break the “continuity and transmission of infection.”

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Director Dr Randeep Guleria on Tuesday had also pointed out that India may see a third wave of the coronavirus pandemic if the virus continues to evolve further and develops an immune escape mechanism.

Dr. Guleria also rejected the night curfews and weekend lockdowns that some states have imposed to bring down the Covid-19 cases, saying they hardly work.

Mamata swornin as Bengal CM for third time KOLKATA, MAY 5 (PTI): TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee was Wednesday sworn-in as the chief minister of West Bengal for the third consecutive term after securing a massive mandate, and vowed to not “give respite” to those behind political violence sweeping the state since the election results were announced.

G ove r no r Ja g d e e p Dhankhar administered her the oath of office and secrecy at a low-key ceremony at Raj Bhavan held amid the raging COVID pandemic.

Banerjee took the oath in Bengali language.

The oath-taking ceremony was held even as the BJP, which has emerged as the main opposition party in the state, held a protest at its Hastings office against attacks on its workers allegedly by the TMC since Sunday night. The party has claimed several of its workers were killed and party offices set on fire and vandalised.

Banerjee alone was sworn-in on Wednesday and her cabinet will be expanded on May 9, birth anniversary of Bengali cultural icon nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, TMC party sources said.

K Y M C

northeast, Page 3

Govt to help entrepreneurs setup cafes in districts: CM

Neiphiu Rio after distributing the coffee pulping machines to the beneficiaries. (NP)

Correspondent

KOHIMA, MAY 5 (NPN): State chief minister Neiphiu Rio on Wednesday announced that the government was ready to help young entrepreneurs across the state by them providing coffee making machines to setup cafes through the Chief Minister’s Corpus Fund.

He made this announcement during the programme held for distribution of coffee pulpers funded by North Eastern Council (NEC) for coffee growers of Kohima district at Solidarity Park here

ment has also come up with guidelines for government and private hospitals engaged in management of Covid-19 cases As per the guidelines, all hospitals involved in the management of confirmed cases of Covid-19 should set up flu comer for screening of suspected cases of CovidI9 and isolation facility to isolate suspected or probable cases of Covid-19 till the test result was declared.

Mentioning that all ILI & SARI cases and admitted patients should be tested as per ICMR testing policy, the government said the current guidelines could be accessed (Cont’d on p-5)

While asserting that each district would have to brand its coffee, which would also add to the State overall economy, Rio asked land resource department (LRD) to ensure good seeds and saplings to coffee growers, besides imparting them training, considering the potential of coffee in the State.

He remarked that markets for Naga coffee have already been created in South Africa and Dubai, which he said the coffee growers must utilise and thereby contribute to overall economic development.

He advised the coffee

growers to form a society and make regulations so that they would not run at losses, even as the society would protect their rights and take care of the supply, thereby value addition would be made possible and farmers would be benefited as well.

Acknowledging that there were 1,886 coffee growers in Kohima district, the chief minister appealed to Nagas to get used to drinking coffee, stressing that coffee growers themselves too should know the taste, flavour and quality of coffee so that the masses could be educated.

(Cont’d on p-5)

NHAK oxygen plant to be functional soon

Pangnyu Phom interacting with the engineers at the oxygen generation plant at NHAK on Wednesday. (NP)

Correspondent

KOHIMA, MAY 5 (NPN): State Health minister, S Pangnyu Phom Wednesday said the oxygen generation plant, which is being installed at Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK), would become functional within a week’s time.

Interacting with the media persons during his visit to the plant here, Phom said it was important for the government machineries to be ready for any situation that could arise. He said there was enough oxygen in stock sufficient for the

time being, adding that after the under-construction plants become functional it would help meet the requirements.

In the first phase, oxygen generation plants would be installed in Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung and subsequently in the rest of the districts under various programmes, Phom said.

Asked why the state government was not considering lockdown when new cases were rising by the hundreds, Phom said containment zones declared by respective district task forces were similar to lockdowns.

Also, responding to a query on the current pandemic situation, Phom said the second wave was very different from the first as new cases were rising every day. He, however, said that the government was trying its best to control the situation.

On the availability of resources, Phom said that the government was serious in its effort to handle the situation and had mobilised resources to combat the pandemic.

In a message to the public, Phom urged the people to be disciplined and judiciously follow all the SOP issued by the government and health department.

The minister later visited the site earmarked for cancer hospital in the vicinity of NHAK. One of the engineers working at oxygen plant site informed that after necessary installations and the testing of air quality the plant would be able to generate a total of 4.32 lakh litres of oxygen in a day.

Bank services won’t be affected, 6 BJP dist heads says SBI on sealing of branches seek relief from

(Read more on p-5) Staff Reporter

Pvt hospitals asked to reserve 50% beds for Covid patients

This is it!

Tea workers choose BJP, minorities Cong-AIUDF

D I M A P U R , M AY 5 (NPN): State Bank of India (SBI) has assured its customers that normal banking activities would not be affected even though some branches had been sealed here by District Task Force (DTF), Dimapur.

Speaking to Nagaland Post over phone, SBI regional manager Abinash Hembrom acknowledged that some branches had been sealed, but he said normal banking activities could still be carried out in other branches that were functioning. He said customer services of the sealed branches had been diverted to branches that have not been sealed.

Around four SBI branches-- Main branch, Bazaar, Rangapahar and Golaghat) had been sealed

following detection of positive cases. Regarding transactions and transfer of money, Hembrom said both could be carried out in other branches. He, however, added that there were certain restrictions regarding cash transactions depending on the amount.

He maintained that “business continuity plan” would be carried out, ensuring continuity of critical banking and IT operations, whereby customers from sealed branches can transact money from unsealed branches, “however with restrictions on amount”. In regards to ATM services, he claimed that this would not be affected. Hembrom encouraged customers to explore Internet banking platform, maintaining that it was the best platform during the pandemic.

their posts

Correspondent

KOHIMA, MAY 5 (NPN): Six disgruntled BJP district presidents have written to party’s national president JP Nadda seeking that they be relieved from their responsibilities as district presidents.

Addressing the media at DUDA guest house here Wednesday afternoon, district presidents of Phek-- Nucutso Ruho, Wokha- Yanthungo Kikon, Peren- T. John Panmei, Noklak- P. Demo, Tuensang- T. Chongshen Chang and Kohima- Seyiekhrielie Nagi said they were compelled to send the letter after waiting for a long time hoping that central leaders would heed to their repeated appeals.

(Cont’d on p-5) K Y M C

2

state

Nagaland Post, Dimapur THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

Skill training of rural youth conducted in various districts

Mokokchung

DIMAPUR: Agriculture Technology Management Agencies (ATMAs) and other agencies organised training programmes on Skill Training of Rural Youth (STRY) across the state with an aim to impart skill-based training to rural youth on agri-based vocational areas to promote employment in the rural area.

Mokokchung: ATMA Mokokchung in association with State Agricultural Management and Training Institute (SAMETI), Medziphema and MANAGE, Hyderabad conducted the STRY programme

at ATMA conference hall, Mokokchung from April 26 to May 1.

The six-day training programme was conducted on “value addition on medicinal and aromatic herbs and vegetables”.

A press release from ATMA, Mokokchung Dy. PD. Sentinaro Longchar stated that resource persons for the training programme was land resources department, district project officer, Dr. Sashiyangba and ATMA, Mokokchung assistant technology manager, Nuksunginla Jamir.

The resource persons

Free foodgrain: PMGKAYIII launched in Dimapur

covered topics on identification and documentation of indigenous medicinal and aromatic importance of agar (king of aromatic) in Nagaland and its market potential, inoculation in agar wood.

Extraction of Oleoresin from Agar wood was also highlighted.

The participants were trained on preparation of mushroom pickle, brinjal and chilli pickle, mix pickle and preparation of turmeric and ginger powder.

After the programme, certificates were distributed to all the participants

DIMAPUR: Excise mobile squad duty party stationed at New Field excise check gate intercepted a tr uck (MN0I 8886) on May 3 at around 7:30 p.m. and seized 11,136 bottles of liquor which were found concealed under household items in the vehicle.

According to superintendent of excise and prohibition (MS)

K Toshiho Yeptho, the accused Ibomcha Singh was booked and arrested under relevant section of the NLTP Act and the seized items were deposited at excise malkhana.

The duty party was led by assistant inspector, Rukhriezetuo.

In another incident, a duty party of the same unit at Chüm o u k e d i m a exc i s e

mushroom cultivation.

Practical hands-on demonstration on oyster mushroom was also performed by the participants.

Altogether, 15 youths were trained and awarded the completion certificates and inputs (mushroom spawn, poly bags) were provided.

Medziphema: A sixday STRY was organised

by Integrated Extension Training Centre (IETC) from April 19 to 24, on the topic “Piggery rearing and management”.

The training programme was organised at

check gate led by assistant inspector, Ketouselie intercepted a truck (AS09C4604) on May 4 at around 4:26 a.m. and seized 6036 bottles of assorted liquor which were found concealed under bags of fish feeds in the vehicle.

According to K Toshiho Yeptho, one Manikanta was arrested and booked under relevant section of the

FIRST DEATH ANNIVERSARY of our beloved father

SAMETI training hall in collaboration with the SAMETI, Medziphema and MANAGE, Hyderabad.

A press release by IETC principal and director SAMETI, K. Remphamo Lotha stated resource persons for the training were lecturers from IETC and Dr. Y. Kent, VAS, from state piggery farm, Medziphema.

Feedbacks were received from the trainees and certificates were distributed.

The training also included a visit to state piggery farm, Medziphema, where the resource person gave a de-

Phek

tailed tour of the farm and its management.

It may be mentioned that 15 unemployed youth participated in the programme.

Phek: ATMA Phek organised a six-day training programme on production & post harvest management on fish culture under STRY at New Akhegwo village (Meluri block) from April 26 to May 1, in association with SAMETI Nagaland and MANAGE Hyderabad.

A press release by ATMA Phek stated that the main objective of the

training was to provide skill development training to rural youth aged 18-34 years, focusing on production and post harvest technology.

The resource person deliberated on introduction to fish and fish farming, pond management, integrated farming system, economics of fish culture in one hectare pond and post harvest management method.

Altogether, 18 youths from different villages attended theg training programme and certificates were also distributed among the participants.

NSCN (I-M) Angami region bans gutkha

DIMAPUR: NSCN (I-M) Angami region CAO and kilonser Khoselie Nagi has declared the ban of gutkha and paan masala in its region immediately until further notice.

In a press release, CAO Angami region Khoselie Nagi and secretary Rokonuo Zumvü stated that those who violate the ban order would be penalised. NSCN (I-M) Angami region also warned that its officials on duty violating the act “would be punished according to its ahza”.

Arrested persons along with the seized liquor.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

NLTP Act and the seized items were deposited at the excise malkhana.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Ex. G.B. Hekikhe Kiba Isaiah 65:19

Then I will be happy with Jerusalem.

I will be happy with my people.

Then will never again be crying and Sadness in that city.

Born on 04/10/1988 – Died on 27/04/2021

Lt. Nungsangrenla Aier (Süngratsü) 12th May 1961 – 29th April 2021 We the family members would like to thank each one of you during the prolonged illness till her homegoing. We convey our heartfelt gratitude to each one of you who stood with us morally, physically and financially. Your presence and support has been immeasurable, words fall short in expressing our indebtedness. We remain forever grateful.

May the Almighty God bless you all.

On this day you left us For your eternal home We always remembered in our hearts and cherished us.

DP-2339

tion to all the beneficiaries under National Food Security Act-NFSA (AAY and PHH) at 5 kg per person per month would be free of cost for a period of two months (May and June).

It may be mentioned that the government of India would bear the entire cost on account of such distribution including food subsidy, intra-state transportation and dealer’s margin/additional dealers margin without any sharing by states/UTs.

by ATMA, Mokokchung deputy project director Sentinaro Longchar.

Altogether 18 participants from Yimyu and Khensa village attended the training programme.

Zunheboto: At Zunheboto, the six-day training programme was conducted at Asukhuto town under Akuhaito block.

During the course of the training, resource person, assistant technology manager (ATM) Tovi Zhimo discussed various topics such as identification of edible mushrooms and its health benefits, methods of

Medziphema

Excise Dimapur seize liquor; arrest two

Director of F&CS, Asangla Imti, staff of the department and others at the launching programme.

DIMAPUR: The launching programme of PMGKAY-III was held at FSDFCI Dimapur on the May 5, led by director of food & civil supplies (F&CS), Asangal Imti and accompanied by officers and staff of F&CS in the presence of general manager and other officers of Food corporation of India (FCI).

A press release by the department stated that the PMGKAY-III was a propoor initiative announced by the government of India to ameliorate the hardships faced by the poor due to economic disruption caused by COVID-19.

The release stated that an additional allocation of food grains for distribu-

Zunheboto

Loving wife and family members

06/05/2021

DP-2342

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Loving Daughters, In-laws, Grandchildren & Family Members

Through this column, we would like to convey our heartfelt gratitude to those who stood by us morally, physically and through prayers at the demise of our beloved Late Ikali K. Yeptho who left us on 27/04/2021. We are unable to thank each and everyone of you individually, but it is our sincere prayer to the Almighty God for His abundant blessings upon you all.

DP-2335

Loving husband & family members

Acknowledgment

nagalandpost.com Poll Q.: Should India declare a state of national health emergency to check the second covid wave?

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

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

A

B

C

A Yes. B No. C Can’t Say.

92% 6% 2%

Next poll

Q: Is there need for the govt to

widely publicise retail prices of various food items ?

 Yes.  No.  Can’t Say.

“I HAVE FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED THE RACE, I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH” 2 Timothy 4:7

WEATHER FORECAST may 6

(Temperature in ºC)

Max Min

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

34 22

Aizawl

A p.m. t-storm in spots

Guwahati A heavy t-storm in the a.m.

Imphal

A thunderstorm in spots

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

30 18 29 20 31 16 28 19

Shillong

Couple of thunderstorms

19 14

Kohima

A couple of thunderstorms

23 14

Dimapur An afternoon t-storm or two

31 19

Cloudy spells with a t-storm

25 15

Mkg

Tuensang A thunderstorm in spots

19 12

A stray afternoon t-storm

25 18

Zunheboto A stray afternoon t-storm

22 13

Wokha

K Y M C

23/07/1958 – 24/04/2021

We, the bereaved family of Late Nungja Aier, would like to express our deepest appreciation for everyone’s sympathy and for standing by us physically, morally, financially, spiritually during the illness and as we mourned his loss on 24th April, 2021.

We would especially like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to: 1. Resident Commissioner, DRC & Staff of Nagaland House, New Delhi.

2. Ao Baptist Arogo, New Delhi.

3. Dimapur Ao Baptist Arogo (DABA).

4. Mopungchuket Senso Telongjem Dimapur.

5. Friends & well wishers.

We regret our inability to thank each and everyone personally but we pray that our Almighty God will bless you all abundantly.

DP-2341

Loving Wife, Daughters, In-Laws, Grandchildren & Relatives

15/11/1941|24/04/2021

W

e the family of Lt. Kruzecha Rio, wishes to acknowledge the many gesture of compassion and expression of support offered to us following the loss of our beloved father.

We tender our heartfelt gratitude to the many families, friends, Churches, neighbours and well wishers, who visited our home and attended the funeral program to provide us with emotional and physical support at this difficult time.

The shared memories of you all at the funeral from both far and near, messages of condolence, floral tributes, charitable donations and calls of benevolence, all those made it bearable for us and are truly indebted.

As it would not be possible to thank you all individually, we once again express our profound gratitude and pray that our Lord bless you all abundantly.

DC-420

K Y M C

3

northeast/State

Nagaland Post, Dimapur THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

Hafiz Bashir Ahmed elected Assam Cong urges govt to enhance Tea workers choose BJP, AIUDF legislature party leader hospital beds, improve oxygen supply minorities Cong-AIUDF

Guwahati, May 5 (PTI): Tea garden workers and minorities, the two dominant vote banks in Assam have remained loyal to the BJP-led alliance and Congress-AIUDF respectively in the 2021 assembly polls.

The electoral result in the constituencies influenced by the two communities have remained unchanged since the 2016 elections.

The BJP had begun making inroads in the tea garden areas prior to the 2014 Lok Sabha poll and consolidated its position in the community in the 2016 assembly election. In the recent state election, it improved its tally winning 27 of the 37 seats in the tea belt of the state seats.

Its alliance partner the AGP won five constituencies dominated by the tea garden workers.

The Congress, which had enjoyed the unstinted support of this formidable vote bank for decades since independence, put up a dismal performance this time.

It bagged only four seats, three down from the seven it had secured in 2016.

One seat was won by the newly floated party Raijor Dal’s president Akhil Gogoi, who fought as an independent from behind the bars, a first in the state.

On the other hand the Congress-AIUDF alliance made a clean sweep in 29 seats of lower and central Assam and nine in Barak valley banking heavily on their sizeable minority electorate.

The BJP and its alli-

File photo of tea workers in Assam.

ance partners failed to win a single seat in lower and central Assam. The saffron partys sole minority member Animul Haque Laskar lost to AIUDFs Karimuddin Barbhuiya in Sonai constituency.

The new house will have 31 members from the Muslim community, the highest in the last three decades. This is being viewed as the communitys assertion of its identity in the face of BJP’s alleged attempts to polarise the society and attack those of erstwhile East Bengal descent.

The Congress-AIUDF has won nine of the 15 constituencies of Barak Valley, from where the BJP had made its initial electoral foray in the state in 1991. The saffron party’s score dropped to six from eight as it lost two seats to the AIUDF and one to Congress. It, however, wrested one seat from the Congress.

Congress had won 15 and AIUDF secured 13 of the minority dominated constituencies in 2016, when the two parties had contested the assembly polls independently.

Meanwhile, the eight

lakh work force in 850 gardens of the state, spread across the tea districts of Jorhat, Golaghat, Sibsagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Bishwanath and Sonitpur voted for the BJP, which made inroads into the tea bastion with the support of RSS and its allied organizations.

BJP had won seven parliamentary seats in the state in 2014, out of which the tea belt area had accounted for four.

The saffron party followed it up by winning 22 seats while its ally the AGP grabbed four in the 2016 assembly poll. BJP increased its tally yet again in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll to nine, besides retaining all the seats it had won in the earlier elections.

A snubbed Congress had made all-out effort to regain its lost ground this time with its election campaign focusing on increasing the daily wages of tea garden workers to Rs 365 from the existing Rs 167, promised free electricity to the workers, land rights and housing to landless and homeless persons from the tea tribes community and also a separate tea ministry.

Guwahati, May 5 (PTI): The new legislators of the All India United Democratic Front on Wednesday unanimously elected its general secretary Hafiz Bashir Ahmed as the leader of its legislature party and Aminul Islam as the deputy leader, a spokesperson of the AIUDF said.

Hafiz Rafiqul Islam and Phanidhar Talukder were also elected as the chief whip and the secretary of the legislature party respectively.

The first meeting of the newly-elected lawmakers was held in presence of AIUDF president and Lok Sabha MP Badruddin Ajmal, party spokesperson Haidor Hussain Bora said.

Ahmed, Aminul Islam and Hafiz Rafiqul Islam were members of the previous Assembly of Assam

Hafiz Bashir Ahmed too. Ajmal congratulated the newly elected party MLAs and asked them to play the role of a powerful opposition by raising issues pertaining to people.

The AIUDF, a constituent of the Congress-led Grand Alliance, has won 16 seats in the assembly election, in which the NDA headed by the BJP returned to power for the second consecutive term.

GUWAHATI, MAY 5 (PTI): A delegation of Congress leaders in Assam on Wednesday met Chief Secretary Jishnu Baruah and urged him to enhance the number of hospital beds and improve oxygen supply to medical facilities across the state to tackle the second wave of COVID-19.

The team, led by the party’s state unit president Ripun Bora, submitted a memorandum to the CS, expressing concern over the prevailing COVID situation.

The party also demanded augmentation of testing capacity and inclusion of medical students, ‘Asha’ workers, midwives and other trained health professionals in hospitals to strengthen human resources to fight against the

pandemic.

Bora said they appealed to the government to take capacity-building measures, including enhancement of beds in all district hospitals and medical facilities in sub- divisional headquarters and ensure uninterrupted oxygen supplies across the state.

The state had on Tuesday reported 4,475 new COVID-19 cases, which pushed the tally to 2,67,925, and the death toll rose to 1,430 with 41 fatalities due to the infection.

The COVID situation in Assam has become “little alarming”, and the government has taken measures to scale up ICU facilities and hospital beds, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said on May 4.

The Congress also

called for the procurement of more vaccines and requested the government to start the immunisation drive for those in the age group of 18 to 44 years.

The state has received a fresh batch of 1.5 lakh ‘Covaxin’ doses from Bharat Biotech, Sarma said.

According to the National Health Mission bulletin, 27,45,383 people have been inoculated in the state till Tuesday, with 5,97,684 of them having received both doses of the COVID vaccine.

Following reports of many non-COVID patients being deprived of proper treatment in hospitals, the opposition party in the state requested the CS to take steps so that such people get care in medical facilities.

Ex-DM in Tripura who forcibly Covid patient cremated without stopped wedding transferred informing family members Agartala, May 5 (PTI): Prodded by the High Court of Tripura, the state government on Wednesday transferred former district magistrate Sailesh Kumar Yadav, who forcibly stopped a wedding ceremony while enforcing COVID-19 protocol last month, out of West Tripura where he was posted.

Yadav, who allegedly manhandled invitees, the groom and the priest during the ceremony held at Agartala, was released from his post following his request as a departmental inquiry was on against him. Hearing petitions in connection with the incident, a division bench

Sailesh Kumar Yadav comprising Chief Justice A Kureshi and Justice S G Chattopadhyay asked the Advocate General Siddhartha Shankar De what action was initiated by the government so far against him.

De said that Yadav

has relinquished his post as DM West Tripura and is currently on 12 days’ leave.

Asking how he was allowed to stay on in West Tripura, where the incident had occurred on the night of April 26, the bench directed the advocate general to inform the court within half an hour as to where Yadav is being posted outside the district.

The advocate general then asked the administration for a response and, after getting information from Chief Secretar y Manoj Kumar, told the court that Yadav has been given a posting at Belonia, headquarters of South Tripura district.

IMPHAL, MAY 5 (AGENCIES): The body of a 78year-old Covid patient, who died at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Science (JNIMS) in Imphal on Wednesday, was cremated allegedly without the knowledge of his family members.

The deceased, Warepam Jugindro, 78, who was a resident of Imphal East, was admitted to JNIMS on Monday after he tested positive for Covid-19. He passed away in the wee hour of Wednesday.

Jugindro’s family members said while they were trying to obtain permission from the concerned deputy commission for performing his last rites, his body was

cremated by the Imphal Municipal Council without informing them.

The incident triggered tension at the JNIMS for a brief period, after which the authorities stepped in and said they would carry out an inquiry into the incident.

W Arunkumar, the deceased’s son, said this was a case of acute “negligence” on the part of the hospital authorities, as a result of which the family could not be present when the body was cremated.

Those responsible for the action should be brought to book, he said. JNIMS Director Dr Th Bhimo said a probe would be carried out soon.

State

District administrations issue Covid-19 advisories Tening bodies postpone ‘course of action’ DIMAPUR: The state government, its agencies and have been conducting meetings, issuing directives and taking preventive measures to contain the spread of the virus.

BLTF meeting: Block level task force (BLTF) convened an emergency meeting at ADC’s conference hall, Pfutsero on May 3.

The meeting was chaired

by ADC Pfutsero.

According to DIPR report, ADC highlighted the SOPs and guidelines issued by the government.

The meeting was informed that a separate coordination meeting was held with all the pastors of Pfutsero town to discuss on the consolidated guidelines and to strictly adhere to it.

The pastors were requested to devise system congruent with the SOPs and to ensure that all preventive measures were put in place.

In view of the guideline limiting the occupancy of inter and intra district

private and passenger vehicles to 50% of the total occupancy, it was felt that the taxi fares had to be revised.

In this direction, a revised rate for taxi fares was discussed and the order would be issued accordingly.

Shops/business establishments will not hike price of any commodity without prior approval from the authority.

The house discussed that traders union and consumer organisation would look into this issue and report of any such hike in prices of commodities for subsequent actions.

The meeting also discussed the issue of some household not having a proper isolation room.

In this regard, it was decided that all the ward chairman/GBs would identify an isolation centre in their respective colony for cases where isolation was not possible within their house.

However, it was informed that the food, lodg-

Poultry traders form body to curb illegal taxation Staff Reporter DIMAPUR, MAY 5 (NPN): To check and curb illegal taxation and collection to poultry traders in Dimapur, the poultry traders under Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) jurisdiction formed Dimapur Poultry Retailers Union (DPRU) on May 2.

Speaking over the phone with the elected president, Tiameren Aier informed that poultry retailers under DMC conducted meeting at Zeliangrong village council hall, Dimapur on May 2, to discuss for the welfare of poultry traders in Dimapur.

He informed that the union was formed to curb illegal taxation and fines imposed by several organisations and individuals as well as to check rates of traders involved in poultry meat business.

He lamented that the illegal taxation had cost huge losses to many traders.

It may be mentioned that the newly formed union would function under the leadership of Tiameren Aier as president, Keyigwalung as general secretary and Kimongtangba Jamir as treasurer for a period of five years.

K Y M C

ing and other logistics had to be borne by their own family members.

Meanwhile, it was decided to arrange a Covid Care Centre (CCC) at GMS Pfutsero, TT hall and restroom of the Pfutsero sports complex in addition to the arrangement made at the CHC Pfutsero in order to accommodate any exigencies.

The district administration along with Pfutsero town welfare committee would make necessary arrangement of logistics and make the facility available for use at the earliest.

All the members were informed that the meeting would convene anytime as and when required for which all were asked to attend positively.

DC Dimapur: DC & DDMA chairman, Dimapur Rajesh Soundararajan has ordered the sealing of Union bank of India, Dimapur for 48 hours from the date of issuing this order during which, necessary

sanitisation of the premises would be done by the management.

Any person violating the containment measures would be penalised as per the provisions of Section 51 of the Disaster Management Act 2005 besides legal action under IPC section 188.

COVID-appropriate behaviour at DC office: In view of the rapid surge in COVID-19 cases in the district, the Dimapur district administration has instructed all officers, staff and visitors to the DC office Dimapur to mandatorily wear face mask, practice social distancing and practice hand hygiene at all times.

In an order, the deputy commissioner (DC) Dimapur Rajesh Soundararajan stated that no visitors would be allowed entry for purpose of selling any items of handicraft, tickets, calendar, badges etc.

Only authorized vehicles would be allowed entry into the DC office

complex and all other vehicles would be parked outside the complex.

DC infor med that there would be no public interview on Wednesdays and Saturdays except for matters of very urgent nature and matters concerning law and order. The public visiting hours would be between 11am and 1pm from Monday to Friday except Wednesday.

Further, DC stated that no visitors would have access to any file or noting from any file except through laid down procedure of the RTI act.

DC reminded that the authorized officer/staff/ dealing assistant/peon would be accountable for safe custody and proper handling of files and records.

Meanwhile, DC informed that Aadhaar correction/enrolment, issue of ST/indigenous certificate, society registration/renewal would remain temporarily suspended.

D I M A P UR , M AY 5 (NPN): The student bodies and youth organisations under Tening area, Peren district, which had on March 14, 2021 demanded repair and renovation of the 52-km dilapidated road from Peren-Tening before within 30 days, have “unanimously” decided to put on hold their “course of action” until further notice due to pandemic situation.

In a press release, All Nchangram Students’ Union (ANSU) president Kibouwi Zeliang has, however, stated that ANSU, Zeme Students’ Union (N) and Tening Students’ U n i o n wo u l d l a u n c h “poster campaign” shortly within Tening area to show

Peren-Tening road condition.

resentment over the state government’s “total failure” to comply ultimatum within a stipulated time.

The union said that the decision was approved after a series of deliberation with the leaders from various CSOs, public leaders, student leaders along with the sitting MLAs from Peren district.

AMSU said the decision to put on hold their “course of action” was taken in order was to avoid mass gathering at this critical juncture when Covid19 cases were rising in Nagaland.

Meanwhile, the student and youth bodies have affirmed to put their trust on sitting MLAs for their “unflinching commitment and unwavering efforts to truly materialise our immediate demand on ‘Top Priority’ as and when there is an inflow of funds in our State.”

The bodies asserted that their collective efforts to execute “course of action” against the government would be initiated as and when intimated.

Mother ’s Day Gift hamper

DSSU seize tobacco products DIMAPUR: Dimapur Sumi Students’ Union (DSSU) Wednesday informed that it conducted a surprise checking on sale of tobacco products and destroyed seized items “worth thousands of rupees”.

In a press release, DSSU general secretary N. Mugha Aye and finance secretary Holloto Yeptho stated that the “illegal seized products” were destroyed in the presence of Sumi Council Dimapur and DSSU advisors.

DSSU stated that the checking was initiated since the business establishments sold the tobacco products, which affected people’s health, beyond the fixed price despite repeated warning.

The union stated that the hiking prices on the

Hamper 1

Hamper 2 DSSU members destroying the tobacco products.

10% discount for students

pretext of Covid and selling the products to children below 18 years of age were illegal.

It also stated that sale and promotion of the same within 100-meter radius of educational institutions was

Contact: +91 9077185843 Or message us on Instagram @em2square7

unlawful under the COTPA, 2003.

Further, DSSU has reaffirmed against selling of daily essential commodities beyond the MRP including prices of Gutkhas which had recently seen a price hike.

Hamper 3 K Y M C

4

OPINiON/EDITORIAL

Nagaland Post

Post-mortem

Vol. XXxI NO. 149 Dimapur, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

Landmark court rulings

I

n a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of India on May 1 advised the Election Commission of India(ECI) to take the observations of the Madras High Court as a bitter pill with the right spirit and also refused to pass any order on the latter to gag the media from reporting on oral observations during hearing on election-related cases. The apex court bench comprising of Justices D.Y.Chandrachud and MR Shah had also told the ECI counsel Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi that the court will not pass any restraint on the high court on the process of judicial determination. It may be recalled that on April 27, first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy came down heavily on the ECI for “not stopping political parties from violating the Covid protocol” for Assembly elections. The Madra High court had told ECI that “you should be put on murder charges probably”, that “you are the most irresponsible over the last few months in not stopping political parties from wanton abuse of the Covid-19 protocol” and that “you are the only institution responsible for the situation that we are in today.” In its plea, the Commission termed the HC’s remarks as “uncalled for, blatantly disparaging and derogatory”. In response, Justice Shah remarked that “sometimes when something is observed, it is for the larger public interest. The Madras High Court stricture against ECI came four days after the Calcutta High Court on April 22, also criticised the ECI for failing to handle the West Bengal’s marathon eight-phase assembly polls amid the surge in coronavirus. The Court, observed that the Election Commission has been given apt powers in order to keep checks on the matters pertaining to elections and that neither the State nor the Union government can overrule such powers of the Commission for the smooth conduct of the election. The Supreme Court told the ECI that it was not in favour of putting fetters on judges’ remarks or their reportage by the media, saying that high courts must get “complete freedom” to decide issues before them, and that the “media is a very important and powerful watchdog of the judicial processes”. The ECI had approached the court with a special leave petition against oral observations by the Madras High Court that the Commission “should be put on murder charges” for “not stopping political parties from wanton abuse of the Covid-19 protocol” in election rallies. Most importantly, the Supreme Court bench reminded ECI : “We have to protect the judicial sanctity of the process…to make sure that High Court judges and Chief Justices are independent to make views. We have to make sure that the media reports everything that happens in court so that we judges conduct proceedings with dignity.” Thus, in one paragraph, the Supreme Court sent a strong message across that it was alive and sensitive to the plight of the people and also the need to strengthen the democratic institutions. It is a very significant ruling since it comes against the backdrop of the manner in which the ECI has been dogged by serious controversies with regard to holding of elections and being biased in its decisions. What the high courts and the Supreme Court have done is a big service to Indian democracy.

DailyDevotion Judgment and the Love of God

The time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God… —1 Peter 4:17 The Christian servant must never forget that salvation is God’s idea, not man’s; therefore, it has an unfathomable depth. Salvation is the great thought of God, not an experience. Experience is simply the door through which salvation comes into the conscious level of our life so that we are aware of what has taken place on a much deeper level. Never preach the experience— preach the great thought of God behind the experience. When we preach, we are not simply proclaiming how people can be saved from hell and be made moral and pure; we are conveying good news about God. In the teachings of Jesus Christ the element of judgment is always brought out— it is the sign of the love of God. Never sympathize with someone who finds it difficult to get to God; God is not to blame.

It is not for us to figure out the reason for the difficulty, but only to present the truth of God so that the Spirit of God will reveal what is wrong. The greatest test of the quality of our preaching is whether or not it brings everyone to judgment. When the truth is preached, the Spirit of God brings each person face to face with God Himself.

If Jesus ever commanded us to do something that He was unable to equip us to accomplish, He would be a liar. And if we make our own inability a stumbling block or an excuse not to be obedient, it means that we are telling God that there is something which He has not yet taken into account. Every element of our own self-reliance must be put to death by the power of God. The moment we recognize our complete weakness and our dependence upon Him will be the very moment that the Spirit of God will exhibit His power.

Quotes

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” ~ Rick Warren

Nagaland Post, Dimapur THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

I

Covid-19: When the courts step in

ndia is in the midst of an unprecedented medical crisis. Four weeks into the second wave of Covid-19, and a year after the pandemic first struck, it is clear that the State had no plan for an emergency of this nature. It is in this context that the Delhi High Court (HC) has been moved under Article 226 (extraordinary jurisdiction to protect personal liberty) of the Constitution seeking judicial interference by private entities and individual citizens.

The petitions pertain to the production and allocation of medical oxygen and the urgent requirement of basic medical infrastructure such as beds and drugs.

Subsequently, the Supreme Court (SC), under Article 32 (extraordinary jurisdiction to protect personal liberty), has taken suo motu cognisance of the pandemic.

Two issues demand attention. First, is the suo motu petition being heard by SC an act of interference in the executive policy domain, specifically on the issue of vaccination?

During the 2G spectrum litigation, SC held that the allocation of natural resources ought to be done through public auction. Subsequently, a Constitution Bench overruled this finding and held that the allocation of natural resources is a matter of economic policy, within the domain of the executive. It is, therefore, clear that the court cannot enforce a policy decision on the executive. But while acknowledging this principle, let us look at the current vaccine situation and SC’s order.

There is, without a doubt, a major vaccine crisis.

The Centre failed to anticipate the urgent requirement for vaccination. It engaged with only two companies, Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech.

These companies today do not have the capacity to vaccinate India in a quick time. SII now is on record saying it did not know that the Centre expected a billion doses in a short period of time. The Centre failed to facilitate adequate manufacturing through existing

entities, and did not make purchase orders in time to import a sufficient number of vaccine doses.

To add to this, there is differential pricing for vaccines for states and the Centre. Several experts have argued that the Centre is best placed to procure vaccines. Some suggest that the money can be raised through a one-time cess while others, including Opposition parties, want the Rs. 35,000 crore vaccination budget used to inoculate the public for free.

The apex court categorically asked the Centre for its policy for mass inoculation and medication, and framed some important questions/ remarks.

First, what is the premise on which the State has concluded that decentralised procurement of a scarce commodity in the current health crisis is the best policy towards rapid mass inoculation? Second, as the right to life (Article 21) is a fundamental guarantee under the Constitution and the current vaccine policy has a direct effect on this guarantee to

life, has the Centre finalised its policy keeping in view the commitment to protecting public health? Third, has the socio-economic disparity between citizens been considered when shifting the burden of cost onto them? And fourth, why is the Centre, in this national emergency, not exercising powers under Section 92 and 100 of the Patents Act 1970, which would help various manufacturing companies augment the production of vaccines and drugs?

The suo motu hearing isn’t adversarial or seeking adjudication between two contesting parties. What the court is doing is exercising its constitutional authority under Article 32 to fulfill its constitutional role of maintaining checks and balances within the framework of judicial review. This is significant since the executive’s decisions affecting the lives of a billion people have been opaque. SC is not seeking to take policy decisions, but is seeking public accountability and transparency on the executive’s policy decisions and its

failure to act in time. This exercise of judicial review to maintain accountability is the institutional duty of a constitutional court and an essential facet of constitutional democracy.

Second, should the Delhi HC have exercised judicial review and taken cognisance of petitions on questions of allocation and distribution of oxygen?

When communications with the executive failed, private hospitals in the Capital approached HC seeking judicial interference in maintaining oxygen capacity.

HC was bound by its duty to protect the right to life under Article 21. As the hearings continued, one saw HC being forced to facilitate the supply and allocation of oxygen between the Centre and the Delhi government.

For almost a fortnight now, the court has been monitoring the oxygen situation on the ground. This is not because the court is eager to exercise its extraordinary constitutional responsibility for protecting the lives of people. It is because the federal cooperation expected

between the Union and states has broken.

The basic structure of the Constitution holds federalism as essential to upholding our constitutional democracy. Therefore, HC is not only ensuring administrative compliance, but also enforcing federal cohesion to ensure executive stability. Today, private entities and citizens are left with no option but to seek legal recourse for essential amenities in a pandemic.

Let us not confuse this situation with busy body litigation or an act of judicial overreach. Those who have petitioned the court have locus standi to seek judicial remedy. They seek nothing less than the protection of human life. The judiciary, today, is being forced by citizens to step into a vacuum created by the executive, and thereby, fulfill its constitutional duty to do justice.

And, this, by its very nature, unfortunately warrants judicial governance.

Abhik Chimni (The writer is a Delhibased advocate. Views expressed are personal)

‘ways to protect ourselves from covid-19 and its variants’

F

or more than a year by now, since the news of the Novel Coronavirus broke out in the world and hence many succumbed to the impact of the deadly virus and millions of people also managed to protect or survive the pandemic. However, the dangers of Covid-19 have not yet settled in and further with its new variants looming over our heads, and in this regard, experts and medical professionals suggest extra caution and care at this very crucial and alarming situation all over the world, especially India where there is more than 2 lakh infections everyday with more fatalities. No doubt, we all are aware of the Covid rules and precautionary measures to contain the spread of the virus, but need to be practically responsible at this point of time to protect ourselves from the virus and its new variants.

1. Maintain social distancing and avoid public gathering

T

: The easiest way to contract virus is through physical contact or aerosol transmission.

Being in the company of more than one person only increases the risk of getting infected and consequently spreading it to other people. Hence, it becomes extremely important and need to be very cautious to avoid public gatherings and maintain proper distancing at crowded places.

2. Mask –up : While many myths surrounding the use of masks continue to circulate amidst the public, yet it is still one of the most effective ways to protect ourselves from Covid19. A well-fitting mask acts as a barrier between ourselves and persons infected with the deadly virus. As such, it prevents us from inhaling other people’s respiratory droplets and prevent us from transmitting our aerosol droplets to others in containing the spread of the virus.

3. Wash and sanitize hands

regualrly : The deadly virus can spread through touch. Whether we visit grocery stores or go for a troll in the park, the unseen virus may be everywhere and must be very vigilant and careful.

Therefore, it is utmost important to wash our hands regularly and sanitize them whenever we go out in the open.

4. Disinfect frequenly the touched surfaces : Besides washing our hands, we must also steer clear of frequently touched surfaces that can be contaminated.

Hence, it is important to sanitize areas that are common for public use or atleast clean the areas that are mostly touched.

5. Good ventilation is essential : It is important that a clean surrounding is crucial when it comes to protecting ourselves from Covid-19. Considering that the virus can spread via airbone tramsmission, it is likely that aerosol particles may linger in the air for longer period

Au Revoir Aiyushman

of time, making people to likely to contract the virus. Therefore, by resorting to good ventilation, we not only secure our place but reduce the chances for both droplets and airborne transmission to take place.

6. To get tested when we develop symptoms : Many times, we waver off cold symptoms for being just another winter chill.

But experts and doctors suggest to get tested when people develop symptoms that are similar to Covid-19 symptoms. By doing so, we not only increases our chances of survival but also limit the spread of the virus.

7. Consider alternatives to shaking hands : Extending a handshake is a common greeting or sign of respect. However, shaking hands come with the risk of passing bacteria or viruses onto that person or vice versa.

If an infected person coughs or sneezes into his hand, there is a possibility of transmission

through hand-to-hand contact as well.

8. Safe vaccination : Considering a vaccine is our only way to combat the Novel coronavirus, it is crucial that we get jab. While many side effects have surfaced following its roll out, however, one must go through the fact sheet provided by the authorities and then decide whether to call the shots or not.

It is understandable for all of us to be concerned about Covid-19 and its adverse consequences, and it’s never a bad idea for the everyday person to take steps to prevent the spread of illness. Let us be responsible and make small adjustments to ensure that we are following the best practices to prevent general infection and put control. “Together we can fight and defeat Covid-19” Prakash Chetri Ward-3, Chümoukedima Town

Comfort and Confidence in Desperation

T

he pulse of our heart is ‘Who can He rose again from death. The same Further, he always save us and to whom must we look Lord is alive today having the keys of had this urge to help othto in a desperate situation such as death (Revelation 1:17). ers, when in need. I re- this with question of medical oxygen, He told us not to be afraid of chalmember him readily offer- SOP, curfews and lockdowns, vaccinalenges as we cruise through stormy life ing to lend his car to me tions, and deaths’? The world is fragile such as today (John 6:20). He calmed without any hesitation on and susceptible to any vulnerability since down the stormy sea and he questioned more than one occasion we were originally created out of dust. whenever my car had to The hand of God faithfully sustains about our faith (Luke 8:25). He wants us to know that He is God and He is able be given for servicing. us no matter how well we know Him. (Psalms 46:10).

He visited our homes Humans and resources can successfully In the midst of overwhelming and on a number of occasions calibrate only with the enabling power scary horizon of darkness and uncerand relished whatever was of the Creator. tainty, the need for us to know is Comfort cooked by my wife. In fact, The Lord God is the final Cleanser just a month before his who sent universal flood during Noah’s and Confidence in the Giver. The Bible untimely demise, he told time. He sent cleansing fire over Sodom tells us to look upon the name of God and me that he hadn’t had food and Gomorrah. He has authority to de- live (Joel 2:32; Rom 10:13). Therefore, prepared by my wife for stroy and recreate (Jeremiah 18:6). No it is a high time for humans to  Pray that God may use the effiquite a while and wished one knows His will (Isaiah 55:8). cacy of the efforts of nations and governto have the same.

The world prayed and He brought Though we haven’t Covid-19 vaccination. He is the Source ments to heal the word, India and Nagas met in person recently, he of medical sciences. Let us know that from the current pandemic turmoil.  Look upon the name of God would still enquire about God has the authority and power over and find rest in Him: healing here and us over phone. He called His creation. eternal life. me up more than once The Greatest Physician is the Lord Thank you and God bless you! when he heard about my Jesus Christ who healed people from surgery few months back Rev. Dr. Phuveyi Dozo, incurable diseases, delivered and restored as he couldn’t visit me.

Naga United Village, people from demonic possession. He I will always consider Dimapur, Nagaland raised Lazarus from the tomb. it my privilege to have worked with him and having known him so close in such a short period of time. His untimely demise is a personal loss to me.

You left us in real haste my dear young brother.

But I would forever cherish the good times we spent together. Though you may Sir, Last year, Italy suffered at the hands of the mighty corona virus and today, Inhave ceased to exist physidia. Every day we see a surge in the number of COVID cases yet there is no remedy cally in our midst, your to completely wipe off the disease. What we should know is that, COVID-19 isn’t soul will forever live with something that popped out of nowhere. Rather, it had been building up its legion on us. Au Revoir Aiyushman! a daily basis. As policymakers around the world rally to combat the rapidly escalating Praying for moksha of Covid-19 pandemic, all we can do as mere citizens is hope, pray and take precautions. your soul on the occasion The government, the health department, the medical teams have been trying their best of adya shraddha today! to curb this epidemic. Therefore, let’s all be wise and follow all precautionary steps diligently.

Anirban Choudhury Arenla Ao, Dimapur Guwahati, Assam 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.

he sun has set on a bright young mind and a lovely soul of the region. Yes, that’s how I would sum up the tragic and untimely demise of Aiyushman Dutta, who passed away on 26 April 2021 at the unripe age of only 35.

Aiyushman doesn’t need any new introduction – he was a prolific writer, a cultural activist, a journalist, lover of art, culture and music, and what not.

Feature Editor of The Sentinel and in-charge of its Sunday supplement for a very long time, Aiyushman wore many hats. Writing extensively on Northeast Indian culture, including folk traditions and traditional cuisines, he also wrote a book “Food Trail: Discovering Food Culture of Northeast India”.

In fact, his interest of late was “Culture as an industry” as he would often tell me.

Founder of Eastern Beats Music Society, he was one of the key brains and organiser of Guwahati International Music Festival. Aiyushman was also invited as a speaker to the prestigious Asia Student Leadership Conference held in Singapore in 2019.

Needless to say, he was one of the prime movers of the Northeast Writers’ Forum, a literary forum.

But to me, he was and would remain my younger

brother. So this piece isn’t meant to describe his contribution to various fields, but a personal tribute to the genial soul. For, a person with an affable nature, he was one of those rare breeds of individuals with whom one could gel instantly and get along easily. And that’s how began our relationship when we both worked for a monthly news magazine.

Having known him not for very long though (about six years I guess), we however bonded well and he wouldn’t hesitate to confide in me some of his dreams and plans, his happiness, his sorrow, his anxieties, etc. Together we also travelled to many places in the Northeast as he would sometimes accompany me in my work as I would do in his.

A man of few words, Aiyushman had so much warmth in him and always wore a smile that won many hearts and minds, young and old. Another somewhat interesting, if not unique, attribute about him was that he helped in connecting people with one another, and I must admit that I came to know of some individuals through him only. And what perhaps stood out most in him was his ability to get along very well with people of all age groups – his peers, juniors and seniors alike.

Reader’s Post

Collectively beating the pandemic

Mamata sworn-in as Bengal CM for 3rd time

come for all to join hands to contain the pandemic.

In order to avail the medicines, they said one has to provide valid prescription from designated Covid centres under the guidance of the DTFs between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lions Club Dimapur. Relatives of the patient/s can collect the same while out station patients can contact 9612633069.

DC-373

DIMAPUR: Dimapur based medicine dealer M/s Medico has decided to provide free medicines to all Covid patients including police personnel in the state at Lions Club Dimapur, especially those unable to purchase them in the market.

The proprietors, Basu Damani and Arvind Damani said there has been a surge in Covid cases in the state and that time has

Applications are invited from the indigenous inhabitants of the state/districts for filling up the vacant post of the President, Nagaland State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (State Commission) and Members to the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (District Commission) in the vacancy listed below.

Sl. No. of District/office Designation No. vacancy State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission 1. Nagaland President 1 (One) (State Commission) i Male Member 1 (One) 2. Kohima District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (District forum) ii. Lady Member 1 (One) i Male Member 1 (One) 3. Peren District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, (District forum) ii Lady Member 1 (One) Tuensang District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, 4. (District forum) i. Member (Male) 1 (One) i Male Member 1 (One) 5. Mon District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, (District forum) ii Lady Member 1 (One) i Male Member 1 (One) 6. Kiphire District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, (District forum) ii Lady Member 1 (One) Criteria/ Qualification for appointment of the President, Nagaland State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (State Commission) and Members District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (District Commission) are based under Section 4(2) & Section 6 (1-13) of The Consumer Protection (Qualification for appointment, method of recruitment, procedure of appointment, term of office, resignation and removal of the President and members of the State Commission and District Commission) Rules, 2020 is mentioned below: A. Qualifications for appointment of President, Nagaland State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission: (1) A person shall not be qualified for appointment as President, unless he is, or has been, a Judge of the High Court; (a) an experience of at least ten years as presiding officer of a district court or of any tribunal at equivalent level or combined service as such in the district court and tribunal: (b) a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university and is a person of ability, integrity and standing, and has special knowledge and professional experience of not less than twenty years in consumer affairs, law, public affairs, administration, economics, commerce, industry, finance, management, engineering, technology, public health or medicine. (c) The President of the State Commission shall hold office for a term of 4 (four) years or up to the age of sixty-five years, whichever is earlier.

B. Qualifications for appointment of Member of District Commission: (1) A person shall not be qualified for appointment as member unless he/she:(a) is of not less than thirty-five years of age; (b) Possesses a bachelor’s degree from a recognised University; and (c) is a person of ability, integrity and standing, and having special knowledge and professional experience of not less than fifteen years in consumer affairs, law, public affairs, administration, economics, commerce, industry, finance, management, engineering, technology, public health or medicine. (d) The Member of the District Commission shall hold office for a term of four years or up to the age of sixty-five years, whichever is earlier. (e) The Member of the District Commission shall be paid ` 10000/- (Rupees ten thousand) only per month.

C. Salaries, allowances and other terms and conditions of service of President and members of State Commission & District Commission. - The State Government may, by notification, make rules to provide for salaries and allowances and other terms and conditions of service of the President and members of the State Commission.  Interested persons may submit their applications with all relevant documents to the Office of the Joint Controller & HoD, Legal Metrology & Consumer Protection Department, Near Agri Office, AG Colony, Kohima on or before the 17th May 2021.

(K. TAKEETH IMCHEN) Joint Controller & HoD Legal Metrology & Consumer Protection Deptt., Nagaland, Kohima.

DC-421

OFFICE OF THE

ZELIANG YOUTH ORGANIZATION

TIZIT AREA STUDENTS' UNION

FELICITATION

Email : tasuoffice@gmail.com

(Idizeung Reunim) President, ZYOD

(Paukizonne Meriam) General Secretary, ZYOD

DP-2338

The Zeliang Youth Organization Dimapur, Nagaland expresses profound happiness and extends our heartfelt congratulations to Shri. Pauding, S/o D. Disuang Zeme, for securing the post of EAC, and Shri. Lungkube, S/o Zierangchung for clearing the NPSC Exam for the post of Secretariat Assistant, in the recent declared NPSC Examination.

The organization acknowledges them for their hardwork and bringing laurels to our community.

Wishing them more success in their future endeavours.

HQ. Tizit, Dist: Mon : Nagaland Pin - 798602

KIGWEMA YOUTH ORGANIZATION KIGWEMA: NAGALAND

FELICITATION

FELICITATION The office of the Tizit Area Students' Union (TASU) with immense pride and joy would like to extend our heartiest congratulations to Mr. W. Kaiwang, S/o Wangbat of Yannu Village, Tizit on being selected to the post of Assistant Research Officer (ARO) Class-II Gazetted under Art & Culture in the recent declared Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) result 2021 and Miss. Manno Wangnao, D/o Shri. Tingkap Wangnao of Tizit Village, Tizit for winning Prestigious Fetisov Journalism Award (FJA2020) in 'Contribution to Civil Rights Category' and she is the first journalist to win this award from Nagaland.

Your unceasing belief, unwavering spirit is laudable and it will serve as an inspiration for many generation to come.

May Almighty God lead you in your future endeavours.

Mr. K. Aman Konyak Mr. James Konyak Asst. Gen. Secy.

President

DP-2337

DIMAPUR : NAGALAND

than 5,000 kg of arabica coffee. Asserting that value addition was initiated by the State government, he emphasised that the machines must be used for good.

Rokovizo Senotsu and Kenneth Kath spoke on behalf of coffee growers of Angami and Rengma areas respectively.

The duo hoped that the machines would help in building a sustainable farming society in the State. They also thanked the government for introducing a new system

of coffee growing in the State and said many youngsters were taking to growing coffee.

The programme was chaired

by LRD Kohima district assistant inspector Agnes Phewhuo, while vote of thanks was proposed by LRD Kohima district APO Sentinungla.

Urban and municipal affairs adviser Dr Nicky Kire, principal secretary KD Vizo and others were also present on the occasion.

GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND OFFICE OF THE CONTROLLER OF LEGAL METROLOGY & CONSUMER PROTECTION DEPARTMENT NAGALAND, KOHIMA ADVERTISEMENT

OFFICE OF THE

OFFICE OF THE

Govt to help entrepreneurs setup cafes in districts: CM

(From p-1) In his keynote address, DPO Land Resources department, Dr Menuosietuo Tseikha said 50 machines were distributed to coffee user groups in varied sizes, adding that bigger machines were given to villages having more growers and smaller to those whose production was more than 40 kg. He informed the gathering that 48 lakh coffee saplings were distributed in Kohima district and 109 coffee growers had started producing more

(From p-1) However, since there was no response, they said they decided to write to the national president asking him to intervene at the earliest. They said that it had become impossible for them to work under the present State unit president Temjen Imna Along, alleging that he had been removing district presidents at his whims without citing any reasons or issuing show cause notices. They also alleged that Along had removed six district presidents so far and had unconstitutionally appointed his “henchmen”.

They said there was no democracy in the party and that the State BJP president had been wilfully violating party’s constitution. Citing that they were elected by BJP election committee, the six presidents claimed that they had the support of party workers.

In their letter, a copy of which was shared with the media, the signatories pointed out that they had written numerous letters to the party’s different national leaders on several occasions appealing for their intervention. They also showed the certificates handed out to them when they were elected to their posts.

The Kigwema Youth Organization (KYO) extends heartiest congratulations to: 1. Vicaleto Yhokha, S/o Dr. Akho Yhokha on being selected for the post of Accountant, Controller of Accounts (CGA), Ministry of Finance through SSC CGL 2018; 2. Metsivizo Phira, S/o Siechalie Phira, and 3. Neiseto Zutso, S/o Tepfuralie Zutso on being selected for the posts of Secretariat Assistant under Personnel & Administrative Reforms Department Nagaland through NPSC. The KYO wishes them the best as they take up their new assignments, and further wishes them success in all their future endeavours.

(ZAKIEVILE YHOSHÜ) (KHIETOLE YHOSHÜ) President, KYO Publicity Secretary, KYO

K-917

Medico to provide free medicines for Covid patients

Referral The government has allowed referral of Covid patient from one hospital to another provided the patient is diagnosed/confirmed case of Covid-19, prior consent of referring-in hospital is obtained, consent of the patient is obtained and transportation facility is made available. Further, the hospital should telephonically inform the Covid-19 hospital or Covid care centre before transferring the patient and also arrange ambulance for transporting the patient. The expenditure on transportation will be borne by the patient.

If intubated patients are to be referred, the government said transport ventilators must be provided for ventilator support.

OFFICE OF THE

KUSONG THSAMVE HOIKAM (Kusong Students’ Union)

P.O. Noklak-798626, Dist. Noklak; Nagaland.

Motto: -“Fight for victory”

FELICITATION

The Kusong Thsamve Hoikam would like convey our heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Tsumang Khiamniungan, S/o Mr. B. Bumo Khiamniungan for securing the post of Secretariat Assistant Under Personnel & Administrative Reforms Department in the recently declared NPSC result.

The Union Expresses gratitude and wishes him the best in his future endeavors.

(Puthan. K) (Chongliu. M) President, KTH G/ Secretary, KTH

K-895

today and deal with these sternly. This is my second priority.”

“We will not give respite to anyone (perpetrators of violence), and do everything to restore law and order,” she told journalists after taking oath.

She urged all political parties to help maintain peace and order.

Congratulating Banerjee on assuming office for a third time, Dhankhar expressed hope and expectation that she will govern the state according to the Constitution and rule of law.

“We are at the moment in a very difficult crisis,” Dhankhar said, adding he has brought the issue of post-poll violence to the no-

must be verifiable. It was stated that testing should be in conformity with the guidelines that could be downloaded from https://www. mohfw.gov.in/ or https:// www.icmr.gov.in.

It has been mandatory to maintain records and upload details of each sample collected for testing into ICMR portal for SRF ID generation and similarly upload the outcome tests.

The sample copy of ICMR specimen referral form for Covid-19 can be downloaded from https:/ /nagahealth.nagaland.gov.in/pages/Covid19-Guidelines.

Further, it has become mandatory for all approved hospitals and laboratories to submit on daily basis details of tests to respective DTF/ district health authority.

OFFICE OF THE

DIMAPUR SANIS EKHUNG DIMAPUR : NAGALAND

FELICITATION The Dimapur Sanis Ekhung takes immense pride and honour in extending our heartiest congratulations to: 1) Rev. LICHAMO MURRY, on being ordained Reverend on 2nd May 2021.

2) Shri ABENTHUNG LOTHA on being promoted to Joint Director and holding the charge of Head of Department Geology and Mining Govt. of Nagaland.

3) Shri YIBEN B HUMTSOE, for securing the Post of SA in the recently declared NPSC result.

The Ekhung wishes them all a successful career and in their future endeavours.

(NZANTHUNG KIKON) (MHOYAMO MURRY) Chairman Secretary Dimapur Sanis Ekhung Dimapur Sanis Ekhung

DP-2333

Banerjee alone was sworn-in on Wednesday and her cabinet will be expanded with the induction of other ministers on May 9, the birth anniversary of Bengali cultural icon nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, TMC sources said.

“Our first priority is to control the COVID situation,” she said after taking the oath.

Banerjee said she will hold a meeting on the pandemic situation at state secretariat Nabanna soon after leaving Raj Bhavan.

Referring to incidents of violence which have reportedly claimed the lives of several BJP and TMC workers, Banerjee said, “I will tackle law and order from

(from p-1) at https://www.icmr. gov.in/cteststrat.html.

The guidelines also made it mandatory to immediately test all admitted patients, irrespective of types of illness, for Covid-19 through either Rapid Antigen Test or Truenat/CBNAAT or RT-PCR in conformity with testing policy for Covid-19 issued from time to time on payment basis at the rates approved by the government, which could be downloaded from https://nagahealth. nagaland.gov.in. The guidelines also barred laboratories and hospitals not having approval from the government and registered under ICMR from conducting Covid-19 tests, besides stipulating that the Covid-19 test report must indicate the SRF ID and

6 BJP dist heads seek relief from their posts

TSUNGIKI GAZETTED OFFICERS’ FORUM H.Q., TSUNGIKI VILLAGE, WOKHA: NAGALAND

FELICITATION

The Tsungiki Gazetted Officers’ Forum (TGOF) heartily congratulates the following members: 1. Shri. Tongcheo Ngullie, on his promotion to the post of Office Superintendent, Directorate of Science and Technology, Government of Nagaland.

2. Smti. Emilo Ovung, on her promotion to the post of Registrar, Directorate of State Lotteries, Government of Nagaland.

TGOF further wishes them eventful careers in the days to come.

Sd/Sd/Er. Mhonlumo Kikon W. Yibemo Kikon President, TGOF General Secretary, TGOF

WC-96

TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee takes oath as the Chief Minister of West Bengal for the third time consecutively. (PTI)

tice of the chief minister.

“Our first priority is to end the horrendous and senseless violence that has affected society at large.

Post poll violence, if it is retributive, is antithetical to democracy,” said Dhankhar, who has repeatedly pulled up the state government over the violence and has had a running feud with Banerjee over several issues.

The governor said he hopes that the chief minister will, on an urgent basis, take all steps to restore the rule of law and ensure that relief reaches those who have been affected, particularly women and children.

“I would also expect from the new government a new commitment, a new approach of cooperative federalism,” he said, addressing the media after the brief oath-taking ceremony at the Throne Room, as the chief minister stood beside.

He urged Banerjee to rise to the occasion and expressed the hope that she will do it, while contending that it is not usual for a person to get a third term in a row.

“There are occasions when a state faces crisis, we have to rise above partisan interests,” he said, while addressing Banerjee as his sister.

Pvt hospitals asked to reserve 50% beds for Covid patients

K-932

Vows to fight COVID, violence

Kolkata, May 5 (PTI): TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee was Wednesday sworn-in as the chief minister of West Bengal for the third consecutive term after securing a massive mandate, and vowed to not “give respite” to those behind political violence sweeping the state since the election results were announced.

G over nor Ja g dee p Dhankhar administered her the oath of office and secrecy at a low-key ceremony at Raj Bhavan held amid the raging COVID pandemic.

Banerjee took the oath in Bengali language.

She is the 21st chief minister of West Bengal and 8th person to hold the office.

The oath-taking ceremony was held even as the BJP, which has emerged as the main opposition party in the state, held a protest at its Hastings office against attacks on its workers allegedly by the TMC since Sunday night. The party has claimed several of its workers were killed and party offices set on fire and vandalised. Party president J P Nadda and state unit chief Dilip Ghosh were present.

5

national

Nagaland Post, Dimapur THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

6

national

Nagaland Post, Dimapur THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

30 districts show 16 pc vaccinated tested +ve for COVID: Delhi hospitals rising COVID trend

Jharkhand extends lockdown-like restrictions till May 13

Ranchi, May 5 (PTI): The Jharkhand government on Wednesday extended the lockdown-like restrictions till May 13 amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, officials said.

The restrictions, first imposed on April 22 as “Health Safety Week”, were scheduled to end on Thursday.

“In exercise of the powers conferred under ... the Disaster Management Act... the provisions of order number 82 dated 28.4.2021 shall extend till 6 am on 13.05.2021,” Chief Secretary Sukhdev

Singh said in an order.

State government offices shall be permitted to function till normal hours instead of 2 pm, as per the order.

The restrictions were first imposed till April 28 and then extended till May 6.

The decision to extend the restrictions was taken at a meeting of the State Disaster Management Authority, chaired

by Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

During the period, the shops are open till 2 pm and people are allowed to travel till 3 pm.

sore throat and cough.

The study covered 123 employees – 75 males, 48 females with mean age 42 -- 113 of whom were vaccinated.

Of them, 28 people had received the Covaxin vaccine

Gujarat Women hold religious procession to ‘eradicate’ virus; 23 held

Ahmedabad, May 5 (PTI): Cocking a snook at COVID-19 norms, a large number of women turned up at a religious event organized in a village in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad district to “eradicate coronavirus”, police said on Wednesday, adding 23 people, including the village head, have been arrested.

A video of the incident, which occurred in Navapura village in Sanand taluka on May 3, showed around 500 women carrying water pots on their heads while walking towards a temple. The video grab also shows some men taking these pots to the top

OFFICE OF THE

KIPHIRE ALONGSHUNG ATPARÜ MÜLUNG HQ.KIPHIRE 798611, NAGALAND

Motto: “Külüpchinung nengdang müküp nguchiba”

FELICITATION

After the video clip went viral on Wednesday, Ahmedabad rural police said appropriate action had already been taken.

of the temple and emptying them. After the video clip went viral on Wednesday, Ahmedabad rural police said appropriate action had already been taken. A police officer said villagers believed that coronavirus will just go away if water is poured on the Baliyadev temple.

“The incident took place on May 3 at Navapura village where women had gathered in large numbers carrying water pots. A police team rushed to the spot on the same day and arrested 23 villagers, including sarpanch Gafabhai Thakor, for organizing this event.

COVID:Himachal announces 10-day lockdown from May 7 India gets 54 tonnes

Crossword

Su doku

KAKURO

K Y M C

of oxygen from Bahrain Mangaluru, May 5 (PTI): India on Wednesday received 54 tonnes of oxygen from Bahrain as part of Operation Samudra Setu-II launched by Indian Navy to transport oxygen and associated medical supplies from friendly foreign nations.

T h e I N S Ta l w a r docked this afternoon at the New Mangaluru port with 54 tonnes of oxygen,

No. 9910 Yesterday’s solution No. 9909

No. 4529 Yesterday’s solution No. 4528

No. 3553 Yesterday’s solution No. 3552

Across 9. Mixed drink (8) 10. Insect (3) 11. Deed (6) 12. Arachnid (6) 13. Deer meat (7) 14. Mature (4) 15. Insulation material (10) 17. Twists (8) 18. Submissive (7) 19. Flower (4) 21. Eat daintily (6) 24. Blocks of flats (8,9) 27. Soup dish (6) 29. Sea eagle (4) 30. Solemnity (7) 33. Inhabitant (8) 35. Fair (10) 36. Leave out (4) 37. Light rain (7) 38. Take for granted (6) 40. Loudness (6) 41. Stray (3) 42. Turning aside (8) Down 1. Flattering remark (10) 2. Slide (4) 3. Song (8) 4. Of a river (7) 5. Gloomy (11) 6. Kept (10) 7. Stowed (6) 8. Officer (8) 10. Extra payment (5) 16. Retribution (7) 20. Small bird (5) 22. Source of wealth (7) 23. Performer (11) 25. Treated roughly (10) 26. Colony (10) 28. Rare (8) 31. Singled out (8) 32. Troglodyte (7) 34. False (6) 35. Shaving implement (5) 39. Satisfy (4) 33. Courage (4)

a Defence official said in a statement.

As part of the ongoing national effort to fight the Covid 19 pandemic, the Navy had launched Operation Samudra Setu II to bring in by sea the much-needed oxygen and associated medical supplies from friendly foreign countries.

“As many as nine warships have been diverted to various ports in the region extending from Kuwait in the West to Singapore in the East,” Vice Admiral M S Pawar, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, on the was quoted as saying in the statement.

MODERN DRIVING CENTRE

GOVT. RECOGNISED NEAR SECRETARIAT OFFICE (KOHIMA) AFFORDABLE FEES

ADMISSION GOING ON Contact: 8132919208 9362609271

K-841

tricity, telecommunication, water supply and sanitation will be exempted, the official said. The cabinet decided that work would continue at civil work sites and horticultural, agricultural and other projects, while educational institutions would remain closed till May 31, he said.

Government and private transport vehicles will A medic takes a swab sample from a citizen for be allowed to ply with 50 per COVID-19 testing, in Kullu, Wednesday. (PTI) cent occupancy, and interments will remain closed essential services such as state transportation will conduring the lockdown period, those related to health, elec- tinue, the official added.

FOR SALE 1618 LPK DUMPER 2017 - 18.50 LAKH TATA 2019 - 19.50 LAKH TATA ALL TYRE NEW CONTACT NO. - 7005702319 9366586725

DP-2332

LAND FOR SALE at Indisen Village Plane Area

DP-2310

Shimla, May 5 (PTI): The Himachal Pradesh government on Wednesday decided to impose a lockdown in the state from May 7 to May 16 to check the spread of COVID-19, an official said here. The decision to impose the “corona curfew” in the state was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired

by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, the spokesperson added.

While government and private offices and establish-

from Bharat Biotech, and 85 the Covishield preventive from the Oxford/AstraZeneca stable.

Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V are the three COVID-19 vaccines currently approved for use in India. The

Contact : 9862713420

Kiphire Alongshung Atparü Mülung would like to extend our heartiest congratulations to Miss Vilila S Thonger D/o Shri.

Setsathong T Thonger for achieving the post of Secretariat Assistant under Personal & Administrative Reforms Department in the recently declared NPSC result.

We are pleased with immense pride and honour for bringing laurels to our community. May Almighty God continue to bless you and we wish the very best for your future endeavor.

(Y. Chorila) (Likhumla Sangtam) President, KAAM Gen/Secy. KAAM DP-2336

38,379 cases. He said in Kerala, Kozhikode, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram, Alappuzha, Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur and Kollam districts have recorded a continued rise in the number of cases for the last two weeks.

Kerala reported the highest single-day spike of 41,953 coronavirus cases on Wednesday. It had recorded 37,000 cases on Tuesday. East Godavari, Chittoor, Srikakulam, Guntur, Visakhapatnam, Anantpur and

Relatives of COVID-19 patients admitted at LNJP hospital in New Delhi. (PTI)

three vaccines claim efficacy of 81 per cent, 70 per cent, and 92 per cent respectively. However, Sputnik V has not yet hit the market.

The researchers noted that breakthrough infections after adequate vaccinations are a matter of concern but adequate data on these infections is not available.

“Vaccines have effectiveness risk of getting COVID-19 infections by 70-90 per cent, and also shield from severe infection. It is possible, therefore, some people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 may get COVID-19 infection,” the authors of the study said.

They explained that unpublished data from India as well as published reports from other parts of the world indicate these infections are occurring but are rare.

FELICITATION

We the SHAMMEANG Clan of Pessao Village, convey our heartiest congratulations to Mr. SHAMBA JOHN, S/o Shri C. THONGO POANGBA for bringing laurels to our family by achieving the post of Secretariat Assistant (Merit Category) in the recently declared NPSC result.

The family prays and wishes all greater success in his future endeavors.

SHAMMEANG CLAN PESSAO VILLAGE DP-2343

Office of the

TANGHA BÜHÜ UNION LONGLENG FELICITATION

With immense pride and honour, the Tangha Bühü Union Longleng extends our heartiest congratulations to Shri L. Taüyan s/o Lt. Lungtok on being promoted to the post of Junior Farm Manager (JFM) under the Department of AH&VS, Nagaland.

TBUL further wishes him the best in all his future endeavours.

(S. MONGBA) President

(O. APONG) General Secretary

DP-2330

New Delhi, May 5 (PTI): Thirty districts in the country are showing a continued rise in the number of coronavirus cases for the last two weeks, of which 10 are in Kerala, seven in Andhra Pradesh, three in Karnataka and one in Tamil Nadu, the Centre said on Wednesday.

Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry Lav Agarwal said Bengaluru (Urban) has recorded 1,49,241 cases over the last one week, followed by Chennai, which has recorded

Of the 113 in the study, 107 had received the second dose of the vaccine.

Taken in percentage form, the study found that breakthrough infections -- Covid infection in vaccinated individuals -- occurred in 15.9 per cent (18 persons) of the vaccinated individuals and 95 per cent had mild symptoms. Of these, 17 incurred the infection after the second dose and one person.

Except one person who required hospitalisation, all others had mild COVID-19 disease, the researchers said.

According to the study, of the breakthrough infections in 18 persons, 17 incurred the infection after the second dose.

These 17 had got their second dose after a mean of 34.8 days following the first jab.

All were symptomatic with fever and half of them had

FELICITATION With immense pride and honour, the office of the Dimapur Sungratsu Senso Telongjem would like to convey our heartiest congratulations to the following members for bringing laurels to the villagers in particular and the community in general for passing out the recently conducted NPSC Exam and its result declared recently: 1. Mr. KILANGTEMSU WALLING son of Lt. Nungshitoshi Walling and Mrs. Katenwala Aier for securing the 2nd rank for the post of EAC. 2. Mr. IMKUMNIXUNG AIER son of Mr. Imsutemjen Aier and Mrs. Amongla for achieving the post of Station Superintendent/Enforcement Officer.

The Union thank our Almighty God for their great achievement and wishes them all success in all their future endeavours.

(LANUZULU AIER) President

(MARCHITEN JAMIR) General Secretary

DP-2329

Health workers inspect COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment at Shehnai Banquet Hall, converted into an isolation centre amid surge in COVID cases, New Delhi. (PTI)

Kurnool districts of Andhra Pradesh have also recorded a rise in the number of cases in the said period, Agarwal told a press briefing here. Besides Bengaluru (Urban), Mysuru and Tumakuru districts of Karnataka, Solapur and Satara districts of Maharashtra have recorded a high number of cases over the last two weeks, he said.

Scientists at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology had on Tuesday said the B.1.617 variant of the coronavirus is fast replacing the N440K variant in south India.

In the north, Gurugram and Faridabad districts in Haryana and Dehradun district in Uttarakhand have recorded a spike in the number of cases over the last two weeks, Agarwal said.

Indore and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh have also been showing a rising trend in the number of cases, he added.

“We are working with the states on how to control this infection,” Agarwal said.

New Delhi, May 5 (PTI): A small-scale study on 113 healthcare workers who had received at least one vaccine dose at a private hospital in Delhi found that 18 tested positive for Covid but all except one had mild symptoms The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research and Reviews on May 3, was conducted on employees of the Fortis Centre of Excellence for Diabetes, Metabolic Diseases and Endocrinology in Delhi.

The participants in the study by researchers at Fortis, National Diabetes, Obesity and Cholesterol Foundation, and Diabetes Foundation (India), New Delhi, included doctors, nutritionists, nurses, paramedical workers, and maintenance staff.

GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND STATE HEALTH SOCIETY NATIONAL HEALTH MISSION

DIRECTORATE OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE RÜZIEZOU, KOHIMA - 797001, TELEFAX : 0370-2270565/2270571 NO. NL/NHM/6/21/2019-20/159 Dated: Kohima, the 5th May 2021.

SELECTION OF AUDITORS - REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL HIRING SERVICES OF CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT FIRM FOR STATUTORY AUDIT OF STATE HEALTH SOCIETY (SHS) & DISTRICT HEALTH SOCIETY(DHS) - (FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 2020-21) under National Health Mission (NHM) Govt of India (GOI) in partnership with the States is implementing the National Health Mission which comprises various programs, with the objective of improving medical facilities in the areas and seeks to provide accessible, affordable and quality health care to the population, especially the vulnerable sections. To facilitate implementation of NHM, State and District level entities (Health Societies) have been registered which work under the administrative control of the Department of Health & Family Welfare. The State Health Society, NHM invites “Proposal for audit” from firms of Chartered Accountants empanelled with C& AG and eligible for conducting audit of major PSUs for the year 2020-21.

Minimum payable fees will be worked out as per the norms of ICAI. Detailed RFP: Detailed Request for Proposal (RFP) comprising Background, Terms of Reference (ToR) and Guidelines for submitting the proposal can be either downloaded from the State’s website www.nhmnagaland.in or www.nhm.gov.in or this can be collected from the O/o Mission Director, NHM between 6th to 17th May 2021 during office working hours.

Important Dates: i. Last date for collection of RFP from Office of SHS : 15th May 2021 ii. Date for pre-bid conference : 17th May 2021 iii. Last date for submission of Proposal to SHS : 20th May 2021 iv. Date of opening of financial bid : 20th May 2021 v. Venue for Pre-bid Conference: Pre-bid Conference would be held at SPMU Conference Hall/ telecommunication.

(DR. I. TALITEMSULA JAMIR) Mission Director, NHM Nagaland; Kohima.

DC-XXX

K Y M C

7

international

India’s US envoy meets Dr. Fauci

Discusses COVID crisis, new strains and variants

WASHINGTON, MAY 5 (PTI): India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu held a virtual meeting with America’s top public health expert Dr Anthony Fauci and discussed the current COVID-19 crisis in India, the efficacy of vaccines against the new strains and variants of the virus.

The meeting was part of the Ambassador’s intensified and focused outreach to key stakeholders of healthcare and pandemic response in the US. This was for the first time that a top Indian government official had a meeting with Fauci, who is the top advisor to President Joe Biden on the pandemic.

During the meeting,

Taranjit Singh Sandhu during a virtual meeting with US expert Dr Anthony Fauci.

Fauci expressed his solidarity and support with India in this hour of crisis.

The meeting came a day after he termed the situation in India “very desperate” and suggested that the government marshal all its resources, including the armed forces, to immediately build makeshift field hospitals, and urged other countries to help with not only materials but also personnel.

During his talks with Ambassador Sandhu, the virus strains and variants

in India, and the efficacy of vaccines against these came up for discussion.

Fauci, who is also the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institute of Health, offered American assistance, including in research and development.

“Discussed virus variants, vaccines, response mechanisms and joint efforts incl in R & D. Thanked him for his insights and solidarity (sic),” Sandhu said in a tweet.

Fauci recalled the severe COVID-19 situation that the US has faced and the various policy responses adopted to tackle it.

Strengthening joint research in healthcare, particularly in the context of the pandemic, was also discussed.

Earlier in the day, America’s Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas spoke with Sindhu and reiterated the Biden administration’s full support in India’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Netanyahu again fails to form new govt

“Deeply appreciate the strong solidarity and offer of support of ” Department of Homeland Security,” the Indian envoy said on Twitter after the phone call.

Two Indian-American congressmen Ro Khanna and Raja Krishnamoorthi issued another plea for more US aid to India.

“It might not be on the front page anymore but make no mistake: the crisis in India has not ended.

Many have stepped up to send help, but nothing can match the resources of our government. We need to mobilise our resources to quell the surge in India and prevent spikes elsewhere,” Khanna said.

India is struggling with an unprecedented second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with more than 3,00,000 daily new coronavirus cases being reported in the past few days.

Nepal’s Oli govt slips in minority UNGA prez urges India, Pak to resolve Congress, Maoist Center and a faction of the Janata Samajbadi Party, the fourth largest party in the House, is going on at various levels to form a coalition government after unseating Oli. After Maoist withdrawal the support, Oli has to garner majority vote or continue as Prime Minister as the leader of the largest party until opposition parties unseat him.

Oli is negotiating with a faction of Janata Samajbadi Party to continue in power that has 32 seats in the parliament.

Opposition parties are also frequently meeting to secure the number to unseat Oli but still they are struggling. A section of the leaders inside Oli’s Nepal Communist PartyeUML is likely to support the opposition’s bid but no decision has been made yet.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Kashmir issue through ‘peaceful means’ U N I T E D NAT I O N S, MAY 5 (PTI): President of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir has encouraged India and Pakistan to resolve the issue of Kashmir “through peaceful means” and said that he supports dialogue and diplomacy, recalling the 1972 Simla Agreement between the two countries.

Bozkir, in response to a question on Kashmir during a press conference here on Tuesday, said that the position of the United Nations on Jammu and Kashmir is governed by the UN Charter and applicable Security Council resolutions.

“I also recall India and Pakistan’s Simla Agreement of 1972, which states that

the final status of J&K is to be settled by peaceful means in accordance with the UN Charter,” said the Turkish diplomat and politician who is serving as the President of the UNGA since 2020. The

Simla Agreement, signed by then PM Indira Gandhi and Pakistan President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1972, is a bilateral agreement that rejects any third-party mediation on the Kashmir issue.

PRESS NOTE

talks, prolonging the country’s political stalemate.

His Likud party emerged as the single largest party in the 120- member Parliament but did not have the necessary 61-member support to form a government. Likud had won 30 seats in the general election in March.

While tasking Netanyahu with the responsibility of forming the government, Rivlin said that he was doing so reluctantly and also mentioned his “moral dilemma” given the court proceedings and lack of enough support for the Likud leader.

Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing.

P r e s i d e n t R iv l i n’s spokesman in a statement

said: “Shortly before midnight, Netanyahu informed the President’s Residence that he was unable to form a government and so returned the mandate to the president.”

Rivlin on Wednesday contacted the parties represented in the Knesset (Israel’s unicameral parliament) on the continuation of the process of forming a government.

The President met with Yesh Atid party’s chairman, Yair Lapid, and Yamina party’s chairman, Naftali Bennett. Both Lapid and Bennett reiterated their desire to be given the mandate to form the next government, press releases from the Presidency said.

ADMISSIONS OPEN CLASS XI Subjects offered: English, Math, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, History, Geography, Political Science, Sociology, Psychology, Economics, Informatics Practice, Painting, and Physical Education Interested candidates may contact the School Admissions Coordinator @ 8794122591 or send email enquiry to mapletreedimapur@gmail. com Admissions Procedure: Online Forms will be issued by the school which will have to be filled and submitted online latest by 22nd May 2021.

Shortlisted Candidates will undergo an online entrance test.

Candidates who clear the Entrance Test will be called for an interview – online/physical depending on the situation.

ONLINE CLASSES will start on 7th June 2021.

Restriction of tourism activities in Dzüleke

Dzüleke Village Council (DVC) and Dzüleke EcoTourism Board (DETB) has brought to public notice that any tourism activities such as camping, picnicking, and homestays will be closed from 06th May 2021 until further notice. The village will reopen all the above activities once the pandemic is stabilized.

The DVC and DETB has requested all citizens to kindly abide with the notice given. Any defaulters would be penalized and action would be taken.

For any information please contact +917085440988 and 8730037262.

Vitsiepielie Sophi Seyielhukho Terhüja Chairman Chairman Dzüleke Village Council (DVC) Dzüleke Eco-Tourism Board (DETB)

K-933

KATHMANDU, MAY 5 (IANS): The KP Sharma Oli-led government in Nepal has slipped in the minority after the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) withdrew its support to the government.

With this Maoist’s decision , the Oli government has been reduced into a minority who is going to test the floor on May 10.

M a o i s t ’s d e c i s i o n comes days before Prime Minister Oli had decided to seek a vote of trust from Parliament on May 10.

Through the vote of confidence, Oli will try to prolong his stay while the Opposition will try to unseat him who are now struggling to get required magic numbers to remove him.

Opposition party leaders say the talks between primary opposition, Nepali

JERUSALEM, MAY 5 (PTI): Beleaguered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is Israel’s longestserving premier, has failed to meet a midnight deadline of forming a government, giving his rivals a chance to end his uninterrupted stint at the helm of politics since 2009.

Netanyahu, 71, who is facing trial on a series of graft charges, was tasked by President Reuven Rivlin to put together a government on April 6 following inconclusive polls, the fourth in the last two years.

The mandate given by Rivlin to Netanyahu to form a government expired on Tuesday at midnight with no breakthrough in coalition

HOSTEL FACILITY available for Full & Weekly Boarding inside the School Campus whenever schools are allowed to resume physical classes.

DP-XXX

Nagaland Post, Dimapur THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

CBSE Affiliation No: 1430015 Website: mapletreeschool.netschools.inTel: 03862248323 208 Kashiram, Rangapahar Cantonment Road, Dimapur 797112, Nagaland Core Values: Commitment – Integrity – Responsibility – Respect – Opportunity

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Born on Died on 30th July1982 30th April 2021 We the bereaved family members of Lt. Kedutsho Khutsoh would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to friends, relatives, neighbours and well wishers who stood with us through physical presence, prayers and financial support at the sad demise of our beloved. Words fall short in expressing our indebtedness, but it is our prayers to the Almighty God to bless you all abundantly.

We convey our special thanks to:1. Diphupar Village Council.

2. Chakhesang Baptist Church Diphupar 3. Chakhesang Baptist Church Diphupar-B 4. Diphupar Naga Women Organisation.

5. Chakhesang Community Diphupar.

6. Chakhesang Youth Organization Diphupar 7. Chakhesang Students Union Diphupar.

8. Zuketsa Area Public Organization, Dimapur 9. Zapami Women Welfare Union Dimapur 10. Khepfünumi Khel Zapami DP-2340

DC-XXXX

Loving Wife, Family Members & Relatives

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Born : 15.02.1971 – Died : 03.05.2021

We the family members and relatives of Lt. HETOI KIBA would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to each and everyone who had comforted our hearts and stood by us physically, morally, financially and through prayers at the sudden demise of our beloved father.

We coney our special thanks to : 1. Doctors & nurse, Referral Hospital 2. Doctors & staff, Faith Hospital 3. Xelhozhe Baptist Church 4. Women Dept. Xelhozhe 5. Youth Dept. Xelhozhe 6. S.T.H Xelhozhe 7. Chilisami Xelhozhe Village 8. Khukiye Lukhai Kuposhu Kulu, Dimapur 9. Sumi Baptist Akukuhou, Diphupar B 10. GPRN/NSCN- (R) 11. Bethel Baptist School, Old Showuba 12. Kutupo SHG, Xelhozhe 13. Anishe SHG, Lhomithi 14. Zhaleo Rio, Advisor, Sericulture, Excise & Minority Affairs, Govt. of Nagaland 15. Friends and Neighbours.

We regret our inability to thank each & every individual personally but we pray that Almighty God bless you all abundantly.

DP-2326

K Y M C

Loving Wife, Son, Daughters In-Laws & Grand Children

We the family of Late Kuireng Shingnaisui (Halsey) would like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to one and all who stood by us at his sudden demise through your prayers, physical, material and financial help.

We regret our inability to thank each and everyone of you but pray that God Almighty bless you abundantly.

DP-2334

Loving wife, daughter and family members.

DP-2331

K Y M C

8

sports

Nagaland Post, Dimapur Thursday, May 6, 2021

City reach UCL final with 4-1 win over PSG Madrid Open: Thiem eases past Giron MANCHESTER, MAY 5 (IANS): Manchester City qualified for their first ever Champions League final after Riyad Mahrez’s double ensured a 4-1 aggregate win over Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of the semifinal.

Mahrez’s goals either side of half-time secured a 2-0 victory after his free kick last week earned City a 2-1 win in Paris against last season’s beaten finalists, DPA reports.

Angel Di Maria was later sent off for lashing out at birthday boy Fernandinho to end any slim chance PSG had of a comeback.

City could meet Premier League rivals Chelsea or 13-time record winners Real Madrid in the Istanbul final on May 29. The second semi-final concludes in London on Wednesday with the teams tied at 1-1.

The victory means City could complete a treble of Champions League, Premier League and League Cup titles this season but it was Chelsea who ended their quadruple dream in the

Manchester City’s Phil Foden, left, and Ilkay Gundogan, right, challenge PSG’s Neymar during the Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match. (AP/PTI)

FA Cup semi-final. It also ends a four-year semi-final losing streak in European’s elite competition for manager Pep Guardiola, who led Barcelona to Champions League titles in 2009 and 2011.

PSG had Kylian Mbappe in their squad after he picked up an injury in the first leg but left him on

the bench to initially peer at torrential rain, sleet and hail from the stand. That he was not used even in desperation suggests he was not fully fit.

The guests, who had previously won first leg ties at Barcelona and holders Bayern Munich, were busy early on and had a handball penalty correctly overturned when the ball hit Oleksandr

Zinchenko’s shoulder.

Zinchenko was involved in the 11th minute when goalkeeper Ederson sent him clear on the left and he found Kevin De Bruyne, whose shot was deflected.

The ball could have gone anywhere but fell perfectly for Mahrez to finish.

In the 63rd minute De Bruyne, whose equalizer

turned the tide of the tie last week, was again crucial as he fed Phil Foden to cross for Mahrez to ram home at the back post.

That settled matters with PSG needing three goals to secure an unlikely comeback.

Their best chances came straight after the opener when captain Marquinhos, who scored in the first leg, headed onto the bar.

Di Maria then shot wide with Ederson out of position following a sudden change of possession, but PSG struggled to create opportunities against a resolute City defence, who congratulated each other for almost every block and tackle.

Frustration boiled over for Di Maria when he petulantly kicked out at Fernandinho, who celebrated his 36th birthday in the best possible way, following a minor spat and like the first leg PSG ended with 10 men.

Foden hit the post late on as PSG grew resigned to their loss and City cruised to within one game of a maiden European crown.

MADRID, MAY 5 (IANS): Austrian third seed Dominic Thiem needed less than an hour to brush past American qualifier Marcos Giron 6-1, 6-3, while Matteo Berrettini won against his fellow Italian Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-4.

M e a n w h i l e, wo r l d number seven Andrey Rublev had to work hard on his Madrid Open debut on Tuesday before booking a place in the third round with a 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4 win over Tommy Paul, Xinhua reports. Rublev had problems adapting to the speed on the ball on the Madrid clay, where conditions are made a bit harder by the altitude of the Spanish capital, but is on track to continue his record of reaching at least the quarterfinals of every tournament he has played in all season.

In the first round, No. 9 Roberto Bautista Agut needed three sets before edging past Marco Cecchinato 6-2, 6-7(3), 7-5, and 11th seed Denis Shapovalov beat Dusan Lajovic 6-1, 6-3.

Qualifier Federico Dabonic produced a surprise by knocking out Spanish

Dominic Thiem

No. 10 seed, Pablo Carreno Busta, coming back from a set down to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

In the women’s tournament, No. 3 seed and two-time winner Simone Halep lost 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 to Elise Mertens to crash out of Madrid before the quarterfinals for the first time since 2015.

The Romanian struggled to find her game

throughout the match, and ultimately 48 unforced errors were the difference in a close match.

Mertens will play No. 5 seed Aryna Sabalenka in the last eight in a clash between two players who have been doubles partners in the past.

Sabalenka needed only 52 minutes to power past Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-2.

Mary Kom, 9 other women boxers to resume training in Pune

Nagaland cricket team skipper, Jonathan Rongsen Longkumer, scored his first ton for Morecambe Cricket Club at Lancashire, UK for the 2021 season. He scored 127 runs in his debut match for the Club. Morecambe CC scored 314 against Lancaster CC 185. Jonathan, who recently joined the Morecambe CC, is the first professional Naga cricketer to play in the UK. The next match will be played this weekend (May 9) against Kendal CC. (Photo via special arrangement Vayu Nibedon)

PUNE, MAY 5 (IANS): Six-time world champion and Olympic bronzemedallist boxer MC Mary Kom along with two other Olympic-bound pugilists -Simranjit Kaur (60kg) and Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) -- have been named in the elite women’s national camp that will start soon.

A total of 10 women boxers will resume training at the Army Sports Institute (ASI) here, following a decision to shift the camp from Patiala to a more secure environment in Pune, considering the raging Covid-19 pandemic.

The camp will continue till July 31, after which the Olympic-bound boxers will leave for Tokyo.

Among those who will be making a return to the national camp are 2019 World Champion-

MC Mary Kom

ships bronze medallist JaPooja Rani (75kg), muna Boro (54kg), who who too has qualified for took a long break due to the Olympics, will continue an injury. to work with her coaches at

The ASI training camp will be conducted with a secure training module in which the players will be divided into three groups alongside their respective sparring partners and given different time slots.

“Considering safety of players, coaches and support staff, we have created a training plan for players in separate clusters to minimise the risk involved,” said Hemanta Kalita, general secretary, Boxing Federation of India (BFI).

Rajasthan boxer Arundhati Choudhary (69kg), who won gold at the AIBA Youth World Championships in Poland, has also been selected for the Inspire Institute of Sport camp along with Manju (IIS), Bellary, where she Rani (48kg), Sonia Lather has been training since the (57kg), Lalbuatsaihi (64kg), lockdown began. and Shashi Chopra (64kg).

ICC Test Rankings: Karunaratne biggest gainer, 3 Indians in top 10 Grosjean to make one-off return to F1 car following Bahrain crash announced on Wednesday.

The opening batsman, who scored a century (118) and a half century (66) in the just-concluded second Test against Bangladesh which Sri Lanka won by 209 runs at Kandy, has aggregated 712 points.

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson continues to lead the charts with 919 points, with former Australian skipper Steve Smith giving him tough competition at No. 2 with 891 points.

Three Indian players figure in the list, with skipper Virat Kohli at No.5 (814 points), being the highest ranked. Three players -Dimuth Karunaratne Rishabh Pant, New Zealand’s Henry Nicholls and DUBAI, MAY 5 (IANS): Karunaratne has moved up MRF ICC Test Player Rank- Rohit Sharma -- who are all Sri Lanka skipper Dimuth four spots to 11th in the latest ings for Batting, which were on 747 points, are joint sixth.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Pant has moved up three places.

In the bowling department, Australian paceman Pat Cummins -- currently stuck in India after the Indian Premier League (IPL) was postponed due to biobubble breach -- continues to retain the top position with 908 points, followed by India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (850 points). Ashwin continues to be the only Indian in the top-10 of the Test Bowling Rankings.

In the allrounder rankings, all the top-10 have retained their positions, with West Indian Jason Holder leading the charts with 423 points, followed by England’s Ben Stokes (393 pts), Ravindra Jadeja (386) and Ashwin (353) in that order.

LeBron James jersey, Maradona boots head to auction

Former Aus spinner MacGill kidnapped, four arrested

Culve r Ci t y, M AY 5 (AGENCIES): A highschool basketball jersey worn by LeBron James on a famous Sports Illustrated cover will go up for auction in July among 500 other pieces of sports memorabilia, Julien’s Auctions said on Wednesday.

James was 17 when he wore the St. Vincent-St. Mary High School jersey on a 2002 cover of Sports Illustrated magazine under the title “The Chosen One.” He soon went straight from the school to become the first overall pick in the National Basketball Association draft and has won four NBA championships.

“It is a very unique, interesting item that is considered the holy grail of items for the LeBron James

collection,” said Kendall Capps, sports director for Julien’s Auctions.

The green-and-white jersey is expected to sell for between $400,000 and $600,000, according to estimates from the auction house. The auction will take place live in Beverly Hills on July 17 and 18.

Bidders can also participate online.

Other items that will be offered include boots signed and worn by late Argentine soccer superstar Diego Maradona during his 1983-84 season with Barcelona, and a jersey he wore during a 1990 World Cup match against Brazil.

The items are expected to fetch between $40,000 and $60,000 each.

Maradona died in No-

Kendall Capps, sports director at Julien’s Auctions, speaks about the upcoming “Sports: Legends” auction.

vember at age 60.

The auction also includes a Michael Jordan NBA rookie trading card, jerseys worn by the late NBA player Kobe Bryant

and a golf glove signed and worn by Tiger Woods.

The items will go on display at a public exhibition in Beverly Hills from July 12 to July 16.

SYDNEY, MAY 5 (IANS): Former Australia cricketer Stuart MacGill was allegedly kidnapped and released in Sydney last month. New South Wales (NSW) Police said on Wednesday that four men have been arrested after investigation into the incident. Police said that MacGill, 50, was held for about an hour on April 14 after being confronted by three men and forced into a vehicle. He was driven to a property outside the city where he was assaulted and threatened before being released. “I know it was only an hour that he was held but it would have been a horribly frightful hour to endure,” NSW Police superintendent told reporters.

BERLIN, MAY 5 (AGENCIES): Romain Grosjean is to drive a Mercedes on a one-off return to Formula 1 following his fiery accident at last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix. Grosjean will do a demonstration run in Lewis Hamilton’s 2020 W10 at the French Grand Prix on 27 June, and a test at the same track two days later.

The Frenchman said getting back in an F1 car was “a special opportunity”.

The move honours a pledge made by team boss Toto Wolff as it became clear the crash would end Grosjean’s F1 career. “I didn’t want to finish on that crash,” Grosjean told BBC Breakfast. “While I was in the hospital, I read that Toto Wolff said he was happy to give me a day in the car if I could make it back.

“When I was in my hospital bed in pain, I cherished that a lot and I’m very thankful and grateful for the opportunity. “It’s rare you get the chance to drive a world champion Formula 1 car for fun and for pleasure - that’s going to be super cool.”

The 35-year-old suffered serious burns to his hands when his Haas car split the crash barrier in Bahrain, but has recovered full fitness and has switched to the US-based IndyCar series this year.

Grosjean said the thought of his three children potentially growing up without a father gave him an “extra piece of power and energy to jump out” of the car. “I was well aware that my hands were burning and

I knew it was get out or die but I managed to get out and since then I’m very happy nowadays,” he added. “I worked very quickly after the crash with my psychologist and when I jumped back in a racing car, it felt normal; I felt home. “The most important thing is I can play with my kids, I can cuddle them and I can drive a racing car.”

He added that doing the test in his home country, at a track where last year’s French Grand Prix had to be cancelled as a result of the Covid19 pandemic, would be a “very special day”, with a limited number of fans set to attend. “It’s a good way to say goodbye to my fans. it’ll be a beautiful experience and I’m very lucky to have it.”

Mercedes F1 boss Wolff said: “We are very happy to support Romain with this special opportunity. The idea first came when it looked like Romain would be ending his active career in F1 and we didn’t want his accident to be his last moment in an F1 car.

“Romain’s accident remains us of the dangers these guys face each time they climb into the cockpit, but it’s also a testament to the incredible steps this sport has taken to improve safety over the year.

I know the F1 community will celebrate seeing Romain back on track.”

Romain Grosjean

Printed, Published and Edited by Geoffrey Yaden at G.M. Printers, Circular Rd. Dimapur-797112. Ph: Desk 248489, Fax: 225366, e-mail-npdesk@gmail.com. Adm.& Advertisement  :248267 Fax: 248500 e-mail-npostadvt@gmail.com Kohima: 2290567, R.N. 40978/90 RN/NE 707 K Y M C

K Y M C