Dimapur, Feb. 23 (EMN): Funds concerning infrastructure development, and industrial peripherals in Nagaland were the main topics of the proceedings at the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, on Saturday.
INR 1112 cr. spent on pension, retirement benefits
As much as INR 1112.72 cr. was spent on account of pension and other retirement benefits from April 1 2018 to December 31 2018, according to the state’s Account General’s record. This was stated by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in a reply to a starred query raised by opposition legislator Yitachu in the first hour of the sitting of the day.
The anticipated expenditure for pension and other retirement benefits for the month of January, February, and March 2019 is estimated to be INR 612.14 cr. For 2018-19, the expenditure is going to be huge owing to the revision of pay, adding 18.55%, the CM clarified in his supplementary reply.
Opposition leader TR Zeliang alleged that a “major chunk of budget are eaten through pension.” He felt that there was a need to crosscheck and rectify the pension rules. The current status of pension process in the state is in a position where “unemployed youth can never be employed” while according to the Pension Rule, 250 youths should be employed every month, Zeliang said.
Where is the chance for the unemployed youth, if the trend of pension being made applicable to the pensioners’ children and their grandchildren, Zeliang queried.
Replying to the matter, CM Rio said that the government was “taking good review” of the pension rules. He clarified that letters have been written to all the accountants of the other states. Information has started arriving and will give a comprehensive report, the updates stated.
Nagaland medical college to be functional by 2020/21
The minister of Health & Family Welfare S Pangnyu Phom has said that the health department was planning on making functional the Nagaland medical college by 2020/21. He was replying to a starred question made by MLA CL John.
Giving details about the expenditure status for the college, he said INR 1, 21, 74,000 has been incurred out of the total funds of INR 27.50 cr. that was received from the Finance department and INR 25.00 cr. in ‘CD.’
Further, he said that the government of India had released INR 153. 03 cr. of the total project cost of INR 189.00 cr. to the state’s treasury so far. The money covers all facilities that a medical college should have including staff quarters; hostels for boys and girls etc., Phom said.
Meanwhile, formalities were accordingly observed in awarding the contract of the ongoing works, he said.
On the query of whether the college will run by state government or PPP (public-private partnership), Phom informed that government is yet to decide on the model to run the upcoming Medical College. However, the decision will be made only after due consultation with all stakeholders.
The assembly also discussed the issue of poor workmanship and quality of work, in regard to the road in the state. The minister of Transport Tongpang Ozukum said that a task force for zones have been constituted. Regular monitoring and inspection of works by senior level officers of the department, and use of good quality road construction materials were emphasised.
Also, instructions were issued to the executive engineers to rectify all defective works, which have been done, he said. He was replying to a starred question by legislator Dr Chumben Murry.
Opposition leader TR Zeliang also asked in a supplementary question as to under which specifications (potholes repair, resurfacing, and reconstruction) was the “good quality road” being provided. In reply, Ozukum said there was “no specifications” but that the department had selected Kohima and Dimapur as ‘specifications of roads.’
As far as Mon district’s roads were concerned, 6.6 km have been repaired and for which funds amounting to INR 3 cr. have been earmarked, Ozukum said, in a reply to supplementary query of an opposition member. He clarified to a video being circulated on social media with regard to the National Highway 702. He said that the Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton went to the spot and verified the matter; and further notice was served.
Another opposition legislator asked as to why the government departments were undertaking repair works in the district headquarters. The chief minister clarified to this that many contractors do not do the work in accordance with the guidelines. Therefore, the department decided to take up the work.
As much as 4, 33, 149 job cards were issued in the state for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural employment Guarantee Act, the chief minister has said. In a supplementary statement, Rio said INR 56, 64, 48, 000 was received from the Centre as the first instalment of tranche-1, while for the second instalment for tranche-1, the state received INR 82, 22,00,000.
Giving reply to legislator Yitachu’s query about the number of ‘man days’ allotted for the MGNREGA during 2018-19, Rio said that as many as 137. 01 lakh man days (approved labour budget) were allotted.
The minister of Health & Family Welfare S Pangnyu Phom has said that the department has served notice to 315 unauthorised Adhoc employees.
However, the Show Cause notice was recalled ‘on view of technical grounds’ as it was issued by an ‘incompetent authority,’ he stated in a reply to opposition member CL John. Meanwhile, based on the recommendation of a committee that was constituted to examine the Adhoc contingency under Show Cause notice, the service was extended for a period of over a year from April 2 2017, and since then their service is being extended annually, he added.
In a supplementary answer, CM Chang, minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said that the department has not received any funds from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) so far, since 2018. He said that the state government has given INR 25 cr. as mobilisation funds. The department has submitted the utilisation letter to the government of India, he said.
Under the JICA-assisted Nagaland Forest Management project, the society has been registered and different committees including a high-powered committee; a governing body, project management unit, divisional management unit, and a district advisory and field management unit for implementation of the project have been constituted. The project was initiated with the release of the project’s operation manual, and a workshop among others, Chang added.
Clearing doubts raised by the opposition member about the funding status of the JICA project, CM Rio supplemented that the JICA was “very concerned about the law and order situation in Nagaland.” That is the main reason why the agency is apprehensive about releasing funds, it was stated.
V Kashiho Sangtam, minister of Geology and Mining said that the DDSP Gangsaw installation work at Wezihu has been completed and it is now under a trial run tuning up the plant and machinery. The project will be commissioned after the plant and machinery are tuned up properly, he said in reply to MLA Yitachu’s starred query.
DIPR adds: The advocate general of Nagaland, KN Pal Gopal, has clarified queries about whether the leader of the house can authorize any of his ministers to answer questions on behalf of another minister in question hour. He said that a minister in-charge can authorize another minister to answer questions on his behalf ‘as per the principle of collective responsibility.’
