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Vol XXX No. 151
DIMAPUR, FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2020 Pages 8 ` 4.00
Govt mulls strategy to block COVID’s spread
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Thousands of stranded people head home Lockdown relaxation in phases: Rio ‘Bus owners defying order’
Staff Reporter/Correspondent
DIMAPUR/KOHIMA/ MOKOKCHUNG/KIPHIRE, MAY 7 (NPN): Thousands of people, who were stranded in different parts of Nagaland due to the nationwide lockdown since March 24, left for their respective home districts on Thursday, the first day of the three-day window provided by the State government for movement of such people. As reported, all DCs had been directed to make necessary arrangements to facilitate the movement of people to their respective destinations, while NST/ private buses arranged by the government will be provided for transportation of such persons free of cost. However, those travelling by private vehicles will have to bear their own expenses. DIMAPUR: Around 1297 people stranded in Dimapur left for their respective homes on Thursday morning from State Stadium, near DC’s office. But it was not without chaos and confusion as about 3,000 people turned up at the designated area, many reportedly without any prior registration. The
NSF appeals for helping the needy DIMAPUR, MAY 7 (NPN): Asserting that Naga society was facing an economic crisis of unprecedented scale due to the lockdown, Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has appealed to the Naga people to extend all possible help to everyone in need in their own respective capacities. In a statement, NSF president Ninoto Awomi and vice president Dievi Yano said that the lockdown caused tremendous hardships to the student community in particular, which could only be remedied by taking extraordinary measures with generous participation of the (Cont’d on p-5) society.
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This is it!
“Money is there in Delhi but if we submit DPR, the fund will be diverted for COVID-19.” K Y M C
Thousands of stranded people at State Stadium in Dimapur on Thursday. (NP)
police had a harrowing time controlling the crowd as most of them ignored appeals to maintain discipline and social distancing. The Dimapur district authorities led by DC Dimapur, Anoop Kinchi and commissioner of Police R. Tetseo monitored the movement of 1,297 people on day one, as they departed in about 50 buses-- both private and government– along with police escorts. 10 buses with 310 people left for Mon, Longleng: 3 buses with 74 people, Kohima: 1 bus with 29 people, Peren: 2 buses with 41 people, Wokha: 4 buses with 78 people, Mokokchung: 5 buses with 129 people, Kiphire: 2 buses with 48
people, Phek: 4 buses with 61 people, Meluri: 2 buses with 43 people, Zuneboto: 3 buses with 71 people, Tuensang: 4 buses with 121 people, Shamator: 1 bus with 31 people, Noklak: 2 buses with 53 people, Tamlu: 3 buses with 32 people, Pungro: 1 bus with 38 people, Tobu: 2 buses with 62 persons and Akuhuiqa: 1 bus with 28 people. All travellers were medically examined before being allowed to board the buses and also keeping in mind the requirement to maintain social distancing while travelling. Besides officials of district administration, medical staff, traffic police and the police, volunteers of Dima-
pur Naga Students’ Union and Dimapur Eastern Naga Students’ Union assisted the people in leaving for their respective destinations. K o h i m a : Ko h i m a district administration too started the massive exercise of systematically sending off stranded students and daily wage earners stranded in Kohima to their respective districts. Altogether 1,109 people left Kohima Thursday for their home by 38 NST buses, of which 12 buses went to Mon, eight to Tuensang, seven to Dimapur, five to Tobu (Tuensang) and three each to Mokokchung and Wokha respectively. (Cont’d on p-5)
D I M A P U R , M AY 7 (NPN): All Nagaland Private Bus Union (ANPBU) Thursday alleged that private bus owners were defying the bus requisition order issued by deputy commissioner. According to ANPBU general secretary Hovishe Achumi, the union had detailed 20 inter-state private buses to be requisitioned for transporting of stranded people to other districts. However, he said that only 12 buses have turned up causing shortage of buses. He said many vehicles were abstaining from reporting by making the excuses of “unacceptable reason”. The union has, therefore, appealed to all responsible travel agencies and bus owners to extend cooperation towards the ongoing initiative of transporting stranded people. Stating that the bus owners should perform their duty as requisitioned by the district administration, the union cautioned that failing to comply with the directive would invite stern action.
Rio and colleagues during their visit to the district COVID19 hospital, Mokokchung. (DIPR)
Correspondent
MOKOKCHUNG, MAY 7 (NPN): State chief minister Neiphiu Rio said relaxation of current lockdown in the State would be done in a phased manner, depending on the outcome of daily case reports. Speaking at a meeting with Mokokchung district administration officials, police and representatives of civil society groups like Ao Senden, Watsu Mungdang (women organisation) AKM, ABAM, MTBA and All Ward Union Mokokchung at DC Bungalow here on Thursday to review the preparedness of the district in combating COVID-19
pandemic, Rio said Nagaland was placed in green zone with no positive case thus far. He, however, cautioned everyone against lowering their guard, even as he appealed to the people to follow all safety protocols and standard operating procedures (SOPs). The chief minister thanked and appreciated all for their selfless contributions and extending cooperation in fighting the pandemic in Lockdown 2.0 and said he expected the same from every quarter in the extended Lockdown 3.0. He admitted that nobody was prepared to deal with the pandemic, adding that it was just by the God’s
11 dead in Vizag chemical plant gas leak India COVID-19 tally crosses 56k
An affected woman being taken for treatment at King George Hospital, Visakhapatnam, Thursday. (PTI)
V I S A K H A PAT NA M / NEW DELHI, MAY 7 (PTI): G as leaked from a chemical plant in Visakhapatnam in the early hours of Thursday and quickly spread to villages in a fivekilometre radius, killing at least 11 people and impacting about 1,000, many collapsing to the ground as they tried to escape the toxic vapours. Hours after the styrene gas leak around 2.30 am from the multinational LG Polymers Plant at RR Ven-
katapuram village near here, scores of people could be seen lying unconscious on sidewalks, near ditches and on the road, raising fears of a major industrial disaster. Among the dead were two children, aged six and nine, a first year medical student and two people who fell into a well while fleeing the vapours from the plant, getting ready to reopen after the lockdown. Cries for help broke the silence of the night and many people fell uncon-
scious in their sleep, a villager said. As rescue officers and police personnel rushed to take people to hospital and revive them, many people could be seen gasping for breath as they staggered their way to safety, dazed and disoriented. Some tried to walk but fell to the ground in a faint. The death toll from the accident could go up with at least 20 people on ventilator support. Besides, 246 people with health complications are undergoing treatment at Visakhapatnam’s King George Hospital, police said. About 800 people in ground zero, RR Venkatapuram village in Gopalapatnam, were evacuated and most needed only first aid. A preliminary report by the Factories Department indicated the leak was caused by a technical glitch in the refrigeration unit attached to the two styrene tanks, district officials said.
56,391
15266
1,811
of those who have recovered also neared 16,000. In its morning update, Health Ministry said the death toll in the country has risen to 1,783 while the number of cases has climbed to 52,952, registering an increase of 89 deaths and 3,561 cases since Wednesday morning. However, a PTI tally of numbers reported by states and UTs till 11.30 PM put the total number of confirmed cases at 56,391 and at least 1,811 deaths, while the count of recoveries was also about 16,000.
Nagaland COVID-19: Results of 58 awaited
NEW DELHI, MAY 7 (PTI): The nationwide tally of COVID-19 cases crossed 56,000 on Thursday with big urban centres like Mumbai,
Delhi, Ahmedabad and Chennai reporting rising numbers of people having tested positive for the deadly virus infection, but the count
DIMAPUR, MAY 7 (NPN): Out of 786 COVID-19 suspected samples sent for testing from the State till date, the results of 728 samples tested negative while results of 58 were awaited, principal secretary Home, Abhijit Sinha informed during the May 7 briefing.
More object to non-inclusion in COVID meet Demand for rollback of cess continues DIMAPUR, MAY 7 (NPN): Ao Senso Telongjem Dimapur (ASTD), Chakhroma GBs Union (CGBU) and Kiki Inpi Nagaland (KIN), have objected to exclusion of Nagaland tribes’ organisations from the meeting held at DC’s conference hall, Dimapur on May 6, to discuss the containment of COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting was convened by DC to discuss issues relating to people from Nagaland intending to return from outside the state post lockdown. ASTD: Ao Senso Telongjem Dimapur (ASTD) through its president L. Wati Jamir and general secretary K. Mar Lemtur asserted noninvitation/inclusion of ASTD along with others brethren tribal bodies, civil societies and NGOs to the meeting has “raised huge dilemma in the minds of indigenous people in the state.” ASTD said that “fatal
omission” and “selective invitation” to only a few organizations has “created volumes of misunderstanding and mistrust” amongst the Naga tribal brethrens. Further, ASTD said that without the involvement and sincere contribution of indigenous people and tribal, the government machineries or agencies would never be able to handle the problems in its entirety. CGBU: Extending support to Chakhroma Public Organisation (CPO)’s resentment on non-inclusion of Naga bodies in COVID-19 meet, the Chakhroma GBs Union (CGBU) said there were many NGOs in the district dealing different matters for the welfare of its citizens and the CPO was second to none. In a press release, CGBU president Rokovitso Kuotsu and general secretary Thepfukuo Nagi said CPO consists
of “first and real indigenous inhabitants” of the district and added that “nobody can deny this fact.” Stating that at that meeting only three out of 15 bodies were Nagas, the CGBU questioned “how non-Naga bodies can take bold decision in such matter without consent of co-Naga bodies.” The union expressed hope that the “government will be more aware of this in future.” KIN: Kuki Inpi Nagaland (KIN), in a press release issued by its president LL Kuki, said that it was not the first time that the indigenous Kuki community had been sidelined in such consultation meetings. KIK said latest exclusion of the community has “greatly irked” the Kuki community, especially the residents of Dimapur district. “Like other tribes, we have Kuki Union Dimapur who can be easily contacted in such meetings,” Kuki said.
DIMAPUR, MAY 7 (NPN): Chakhesang Public Organization (CPO), Zunheboto Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ZCCI) and Naga Business Association Kohima (NBAK) Thursday joined other organsiations from across the state in slamming the imposition of COVID-19 cess on petrol and diesel and demanding immediate rollback. Chakhesang Public Organization (CPO) has termed as “very unfortunate and unacceptable” the imposition of COVID-19 cess and urged the government to revoke its order in the interest of public. In a press note, CPO president Mikha Kenye and general secretary Veduvo Rhakho said that imposing of unprecedented ‘tax on tax’ came at a time when thousands of people were struggling to procure even their daily needs. CPO said that prices of various essential commodities would “automatically shoot up” and the general public would ultimately suffer. It stated that the state government should not try to squeeze the common people hard earn money “as this will only erupt negative impact.”
Meanwhile, CPO has asked the village authorities to relax passage to any bona fide members within the state of Nagaland who wished to return to the village without any restriction. CPO said farmers should be give free passage in mending their fields at this season of cultivation. It also stated that all necessary guidelines on quarantine and COVID19 dead protocols should be diligently observed especially the villagers in compliance with the advisories of health ministry and orders issued by state government. ZCCI: Zunheboto Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ZCCI) has supported the Confederation of Nagaland Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CNCCI)’s appeal to the state government to rollback cess on petroleum products. In a press release, ZCCI president Kikheto Muru and media affairs secretary Holoka T Sumi expressed dismay that the prices of essential commodities were bound to shoot up consequent upon increase in oil (Cont’d on p-5) prices.
grace that there was no positive case in the State so far. He pointed out that this was possible only because everyone came together in the fight. According to him, it was through collective unity of all that Nagaland could withstand the pandemic thus far and solicited continuous support from all in this regard. “Since we are fighting with an invisible enemy, we should all put our mistakes and differences behind and fight this enemy united,” he emphasised. Admitting that it was good to point out mistakes to enable the government to take corrective measures, Rio asserted that the State government was now prepared to face the pandemic even as he hoped the virus did not come to “our land”. The chief minister was also categorical that Nagaland should now move towards self-sustainability and sufficiency. Giving a dismal view of the State’s economy, he proposed going back to the land to produce food. He added that this pandemic should be a lesson for every Naga to go back to the land. (Cont’d on p-5)
DoSE notifies schools
DIMAPUR, MAY 7 (NPN): Department of School Education (DoSE) has informed the heads of all schools (both government and private) functioning under the department to devise mechanism for preparation and circulation of ‘notes’ to students for those lessons being broadcasted through DD/AIR by the department under the lockdown tele/ radio tutoring programme. According to a DIPR report, the principal director school education, Shanavas C, has directed the heads of schools to ensure that all norms of social distancing etc. notified by the government were adhered to while the exercise was being carried out.
All shops allowed to open in Kohima
D I M A P U R , M AY 7 (NPN): To facilitate shopping for the general public on account of Mothers’ Day which falls on May 10, 2020, the deputy commissioner (DC) Kohima, Gregory Thejawelie, has allowed all categories of shops to remain open in Kohima during permitted hours on May 8 and May 9, 2020. DC directed the general public and shopkeepers to maintain safe practices such as social distancing, sanitizing/washing of hands and wear mask at all times.
Power shutdown in parts of Kma dist
DIMAPUR, MAY 7 (NPN): Power department has informed that there would be a total shutdown of power supply on May 8 and May 9, 2020 from 10am to 4pm in Southern Angami region and its surrounding areas under Kohima district. In a press release, SDO transmission sub-division Kohima informed that power shutdown was being necessitated for construction of 400 kV D/C(Twin) Transmission line from Imphal (Manipur) to New Mariani(Assam) via New Kohima (Nagaland) project for “North Eastern Region Strengthening Scheme (NERSS-VI)”. K Y M C