Our Correspondent
Kohima, June 15 (EMN): Considering the level of expenditure that would be required to handle Covid-19 crisis, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Monday stated that the government has decided to reduce its expenditure by adopting austerity measures such as freezing of fresh appointments; 15% cut in selected items of expenditure such as travelling entitlements, office expenses, motor vehicles and maintenance, freezing of dearness allowances and dearness relief during 2020-21 and pro-rata cut of 15% in the state's own development expenditure.
Rio also asserted that the state government is doing "all that is possible" for the people returning home from outside the state.
He apprised that the state government has been “fully engaged” since April 2020 in preparations for the returnees, in managing the logistics of their movement and management of the quarantine facilities with all expenses borne by the government, along with the support of the churches and the civil society organisations.
Special cell
In order to provide support and handholding in locating job opportunities and meet the training and skilling requirements of returnees, as well as keep a track of people from the state going out to other places for employment, the government has decided to set up a "special cell" in the Labour and Employment department.
"This will be of great help to our working professionals returning and going out for work," Rio said.
He said that the state government has done the "maximum that is possible in the present circumstances, much more than any other state government”.
Further, he hoped that all the citizens would be able to look at things from a more positive point of view and fight the pandemic together "instead of wasting time making unsubstantiated allegations”.