Our
Correspondent
Kohima, Feb. 14 (EMN): Chief Minister of Nagaland
Neiphiu Rio on Friday tabled the annual administrative report for 2019-2020 for
the department of Finance, Information Technology and Communication, Power;
Social Welfare, and Electrical Inspectorate.
The chief minister tabled the annual report for the department of Geology and Mining on behalf of V Kashisho Sangtam who attended the send-off service of former Nagaland legislator late Imtilemba Sangtam in Dimapur on the day. Rio also tabled the first annual report of the Nagaland Lokayukta.
The minister of Transport, Civil Aviation and Railways, and Land Resources, P Paiwang Konyak, tabled the report for transport department, while the minister for Housing and Mechanical, Tongpang Ozukum, tabled the annual reports for the Nagaland Public Works department.
Chairman of the committee on Subordinate Legislation (2019-2020) Toshi Wungtung tabled the Fifty Sixth Report on Action on the Twenty Second Report on the Nagaland Art and Culture Services Rules, 1992; and Fifty Seventh Report on Action taken by the Government on the Forty Seventh Report on the Nagaland Fisheries Service Rules, 2006.
Wungtung also presented the Fifty Eight Report on Action taken by the Government on the Fifty Fourth Report on the Nagaland Board of School Education Rules, 2015; Fifty Ninth Report on Action taken by the Government on the Fifty Third Report on the Nagaland Home Guards and Civil Defence (Gazette and Non-Gazette) Service Rules, 2015; Sixtieth Report on Action taken by the Government on the Thirty First Report on the Nagaland Rural Development Service Rules, 2006; and Sixty First Report on the Forty Fifth Report on the Nagaland Judicial Service Rules, 2009.
The chairman of the committee on Privileges (2019-2020), Mmhonlumo Kikon, tabled the ‘Internal Working Rules to the Committee of Privileges’.
The Nagaland Appropriation (No. 1) Bill, 2020 introduced by Rio was passed by a voice vote.
Labour dept. updates on unorganised workers
The Nagaland Domestic Workers Movement (NDWM) has made remarkable progress in many areas under the initiative of Labour department in collaboration with ASSISI Centre for Integrated Development, Dimapur, and FEERANDO Domestic Workers Alliance, Kohima.
This was informed by the department of Labour at the ongoing fifth session of the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly on Friday. The department stated that it conducts awareness and leadership building programmes for promoting quality of service by domestic workers in the state and also involves in International Domestic Workers Day celebration on June 15 every year by supporting different organisations that deal with domestic workers.
To provide more “bargaining power” to domestic workers movement by collective representation as a workers union, the department has registered the NDWM under the Indian Trade Unions Act, 1926. The registered domestic worker's organisation is under the patronage of ASSISI Centre for Integrated Development Lakeview colony in Dimapur district.
The department also stated it is working out modalities to register the identified domestic workers under the Unorganised Workers Social Security Act, 2008, so that appropriate social security benefits can be made available to the registered beneficiaries.
According to the department, the government of India has introduced a pension scheme for unorganised workers namely Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) to ensure old age protection for unorganised workers who earn below INR 15,000 per month, and the National Pension Scheme for Traders and Self Employed Pensions (NPS-Traders) for the shopkeepers, retail traders and self-employed persons with an annual turnover not exceeding INR 1.5 crore.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the two schemes on March 5 and September 12 in 2019 respectively.
Fifth session of the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
Our
Correspondent
Kohima, Feb. 14 (EMN): The day-five business of the
fifth session of the 13th NLA dwell on the ongoing road construction works and
appointments to various posts in different departments during the question hour
on Friday.
Opposition MLA Muthingnyuba Sangtam raised a starred question on the number of grade-III and above appointments made through an open interview as well as without interview w.e.f April 1, 2018 till December 31, 2019 and the number of teachers appointed from Backward Tribes without requisite B.Ed qualification from April 1, 2018 till December 2019.
The advisor to School Education, KT Sukhalu, replied that 76 posts of LDA (district and directorate) and 134 graduate teachers (Maths and Science) were appointed through an open interview, while 74 appointments were made on compassionate ground and 233 ad hoc appointments were made during the period. Further, Sukhalu maintained that nine primary teachers were appointed without requisite B.Ed qualification from Backward Tribes from April 1, 2018 till December 31, 2019.
On the total number of retired undergraduate and graduate teachers during April 1, 2018 till December 31, 2019 and the total number of appointments made during the period against the vacancies, the advisor maintained that 456 undergraduate and graduate teachers had retired and that 111 appointments were made against the 456 vacancies.
The slow progress of road projects
Opposition MLA Y Vikheho Swu also raised a question regarding the ongoing road projects from Kejumetouma to Ghathashi via Tukuliqa phases-I and from Kejumetouma to Kheloshe Polytechnic Atoizu phases-II, pertaining to the status of work and the firms undertaking the construction.
To this, Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton, who is also in-charge of Road and Bridges, stated that the status of the road is of Economic Importance (EI) scheme, executed by M/s Jordan-Pongshi (JV) for phase-II and M/s Jordan Construction-SJCPI (JV) for phase-II. He admitted to slow progress of work as per verification on September 27, 2019 and that Phase-I of the projects is due for completion by February 7, 2021, and phase-II by April 17, 2021. He stated that more time period for completion has been sought from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
62 appointments without an interview
Replying to a starred question by MLA Chotisuh Sazo, Minister of Housing and Mechanical Tongpang Ozukum informed that a total number of 62 appointments were made from April 2018 till date and that all the appointments were done without interview: 29 from Mokokchung, four from Tuensang, six from Mon, two from Dimapur, nine from Kohima, four from Kiphire, three from Zunheboto, three from Phek, and one each from Peren and Longleng districts.
The opposition party also asked the minister in-charge to give assurance to look into the matter of reservation through backward quota.
When questioned about no appointment being done through interview, Ozukum replied that they advertised certain posts of SO and LDAs for open recruitment, and since the department recruitment is conducted every three months, they will further advertise the posts that are required to be appointed through open recruitment and continue to maintain the routine for the backward conservation special quota.
Hike in consumer power tariff
Replying to a starred question by MLA Chumben Murry, Minister-in-charge of Power replied that the department had filed a petition with the Nagaland Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for an increase of tariff and the final call will be taken in the Tariff order by NERC after a public hearing. He also said that tariff is increasing all over the country and so it is needed to increase power revenue in the state.
Collection of DMC tolls and urban utility fees
Minister of Rural Development department Metsubo Jamir, replying to a starred question by MLA Moatoshi Longkumer, stated that the department of Municipal Affairs initially engaged private parties to collect tolls and urban utility fees under Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) for a period of one year during 2019-20. However, due to the written complaint to the government by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) under the aegis of Naga Council Dimapur, the government cancelled the “lease system” vide Notification No. MA- 125/2015(III) dated 29/01/2020(Annexed).
Criteria to obtain ILP
MLA Chumben Murry, in a starred question, sought to know whether illegal immigrants who are granted Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019 will be denied ILP/ entry into Nagaland. To this, Y Patton replied that granting of citizenship, including those who may be given citizenship under the CAA, 2019, is under the purview of the Government of India. The entry of any Indian citizen, including those who may be given citizenship under CAA 2019, and who is not indigenous Inhabitant of Nagaland is governed under Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, and any such person will be required pass as prescribed by the Nagaland Government from time to time for entering the state and will be subject to such restrictions or conditions as the State Government may deem fit, he added.
Un-starred questions
Deputy CM Y Patton informed the house on the procedure of Home department’s issue of work and supplies during 2018-2019 on Friday, in a reply to an un-starred question from opposition MLA Kuzholuzo Nienu, who sought to know from the minister of Home Affairs about the nature of work and supply issued under the department for the period 2018-2019 December.
Patton, who is also the minister of Home, stated that department of had carried out works and issued supply order in various categories viz. police engineering project (PEP), ration/ clothing and equipment/ arms and ammunitions/ central purchase medicines and equipment and scheme of police modernisation.
He maintained that under police project engineering, multi-storied barrack especially for the trainees, jawan/ platoon post barracks at the border, functional buildings and protection works/retaining wall were taken up, adding that tenders were floated to issue the works to contractors.
Patton informed the member about various procedures the department undertakes for procuring a supply of ration and other commodities by way of floating tenders. He also highlighted that, for police modernisation, it is taken up under the “Assistance to states for Modernisation of Police Force” with the objective to gradually reduce the dependence of the state governments on the army and the central armed police forces to control internal security and law and order situations by equipping the state police forces adequately and strengthening their training infrastructure.