Citizenship Bill is not applicable to Nagaland : Governor Acharya

Guwahati, Jan 26 : With the nation, Nagaland also celebrated the 70th Republic Day with great pomp on Saturday.

 

Addressing the gathering at the Republic Day celebrations held at the Secretariat Plaza in Kohima, Nagaland Governor P. B. Acharya stated that the state government is of the view that the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016 is not applicable to Nagaland and that we stand protected under the provisions of Article 371 (A) of Constitution of India and the Inner Line Permit mechanism as per Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873 which was reaffirmed as Clause 16 of the 16 Point Agreement.

 

The Nagaland Governor appealed to the Union government to have wider consultations with all North Eastern States to ensure that the rights of the indigenous people are fully protected.

 

Acharya mentioned that the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) was set up on 8th March 2018 to address the Naga political issue, and on 11th May 2018, the State Government reconstituted the Joint Legislators Forum (JLF) to further address the issue.

 

The Nagaland Governor lauded Major Imliakum Keitzar of 4th Gorkha Rifles who has been honoured with Shaurya Chakra for successfully leading Operation Rekha in Keran Sector of Kupuwara district of Jammu and Kashmir on 9 June 2018 and, Wing Commander S. Akheto Jakhalu who has been awarded the prestigious Vishishth Sewa Medal for dedication, extraordinary contribution and recognition of his distinguished meritorious service career of the highest order.

 

He mentioned that the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) was set up on 8th March 2018 to address the Naga political issue, and on 11 May 2018, the State Government reconstituted the Joint Legislators Forum (JLF) to further pursue the issue to its logical conclusion.

 

To ensure good governance and development in the state, the government has updated websites of the government gepartments - The CM Dashboard gives the real-time status of all major schemes and programs and was recently awarded by the Indian Express Group as one of the best use of technological applications.

 

The state government has banned all single use plastics below 50 microns with effect from 1 December 2018 and is taking measures to make Nagaland plastic-free.

 

On the Law and Order front, Tourist Police was launched on 26 November 2018 and made a mark in ensuring an incident free Hornbill Festival. Nagaland became the second state in the country and the first state in the North East to have the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) in place when it was launched by Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh on 1 December 2018. 

 

Police Department also launched the Police Ki Pathshala - Community Policing Programme for involving the community in policing. Today, all districts in Nagaland have Women Police stations and this has ensured that Nagaland remains one of the safest states for women in the country. Nagaland was also awarded for being the Best State for Law and Order in the India Today Conclave of States in November 2018.

 

Acharya stated that in the Education sector, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India has released an amount of Rs 47.16 crore for payment of Post Matric Scholarship to ST students of the state. Also, under the Ex-Gratia scheme for students studying outside the state, an amount of Rs 5 lakh will be given as financial assistance to the family of the deceased student. SCERT and Department of School Education have introduced Nagaland Heritage Studies (NHS) text book for classes 1 to 5.  SCERT has also introduced a 9-month Diploma Course on School Counselling.

 

In the field of Sports, Dimapur hosted the first ever Ranji Trophy Match for Nagaland and Nagaland cricket team made a record by winning their first ever match. Dr. T. Ao Centenary Year is also being observed and work on Dr. T Ao Football Academy at Dimapur is being initiated. The prestigious Dr. T. Ao North East Football Tournament will be hosted in 2019.

 

Sports infrastructure facilities have been augmented by construction of outdoor stadiums at Pughoboto and Mon. With installation of Astro Turf at I.G. Stadium, Kohima, the capital is ready to host national and international matches and tournaments.

 

The Investment and Development Authority of Nagaland (IDAN) was set up to facilitate investment in the Hydro Power sector. The 1st North East Summit on Entrepreneurship was organised in Dimapur in partnership with the UN Global Compact.

 

The Nagaland Governor pointed that, to boost entrepreneurship and economic activities, the first ever Entrepreneurs Meet and Buyer Seller Meets was organised. The Nagaland Tool Room and Training Centre Dimapur has been upgraded with new streams for Vocational Training of the youth. Nagaland Skills Development & Entrepreneurship Society (NSDES) has been formed and MoUs signed with 12 Training Partners for ensuring skill training and upgradation.

 

In the Health Sector, the state government has signed an MoU with GoI for establishment of a National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Branch at Dimapur. The Measles Rubella Vaccination Campaign achieved 97% of the Target due to coordinated efforts of the Health Department personnel and positive support of the public and institutions. The upgraded new hospital at Kiphire was inaugurated on 9 November 2018.  A new AYUSH Hospital was inaugurated at Noklak on 18 December 2018. The construction of Medical College at Kohima is also initiated and work order has already been issued. We have launched the Ayushman Bharat Health Insurance Scheme which provides cashless health insurance of Rs. 5 lakh to almost 2.33 lakh beneficiary families in the state.

 

Acharya highlighted that under MGNREGS, the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India has approved one hundred and 27 lakhs person days for the state of Nagaland amounting to Rs 315 Crore.  Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission has been taken up in 639 villages under 43 Blocks in 9 Districts. 4545 Self Help Groups are actively engaged in income generating activities covering 42200 households.

 

Administrative fund for Rs 35.00 lakh have been released for preparation of Integrated Cluster Action Plan (ICAP). A total of 8481 Houses are proposed to be constructed during 2018-19 under Prime Minister Awas Yojana- Gramin (PMAY-G). Under Swachh Bharat, the State has done remarkably well with funds received from Government of India and Rural Nagaland has already been declared ODF.

 

Nagaland was recently awarded the Best Horticulture State at the 11th Global Agriculture Leadership Award, 2018 for using innovative ideas to transform the horticultural activities in the State. The State Government is focussed on ensuring that our organic food gets a good market and growers/farmers are economically strengthened. On 19th January 2019, FOCUS – Fostering Climate Resilient Upland Agriculture System Project was

launched in association with International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) with the objective of improving farming in the State. Coffee has been exported to Cape town, South Africa through “Naga Coffee” a subsidiary of Noble Cause Company Pvt. Ltd. Cape Town.

 

With special focus on economic development in the Eastern Nagaland region, the DUDA Department has established Anghya Market Linkage Hubs in all the District HQs of Mon, Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire and created the “ANGHYA” brand and labels for packaging/marketing and linkages with outlets in and outside the state which is under process. Special Tutorial Centres are introduced for Class X students/Sainik School entrance test. Following the model of the Aspiration District of Kiphire, the State Government has decided to identify one Aspirational Block in each of the remaining 10

districts. A corpus of Rs 1 crore has also been set up for taking up projects to meet developmental gaps of Kiphire District.

 

Acharya stated that to promote State Tourism, the Mini Hornbill Festival coinciding with respective tribal festivals, the Dzukou Valley Festival, Amur Falcon Conservation Week & Festival at Doyang, the People’s Festival at Khezhakeno etc. were held. Hornbill Festival 2018 witnessed a footfall of 37,397 domestic and 2702 foreign tourists.

 

In the field of Science and Technology, Information Technology, an Innovation Hub and Space Education Centre and Planetarium was inaugurated on 28 September 2018 at Dimapur. An Innovation Hub and Digital Planetarium at Kohima is scheduled to be launched by March 2019. BPO Centre at Kohima is now capable of handling International Business Process. Our State Common Service Centre (CSCs) have been awarded distinction in various services.

 

To boost socio-economic development of the state, Special thrust is directed on improvement of Road Communication infrastructures, through Special Road Programmes, NABARD-RIDF, PMGSY and GOI funding under Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. During 2018-19, vital road connectivity from NH-29 at Burma Camp to Lahorijan River with a Major Bridge of 30 metres span has been completed. Two-laning of NH-02 Botsa-Wokha, Yisemyong to Unger, improvement works at Kohima, Dimapur city portion road are taken up on war footing.

 

In the Power sector, upgradation of existing 100 MVA to 200 MVA at Dimapur was taken up and laying of 220KV D/C Transmission line from Dimapur – Zhadima is in good progress. 100% Household electrification in Rural & Urban areas under Saubhagya Scheme was completed in December 2018. Augmentation of Water Supply to Wokha town, New Peren District HQ has been commissioned.

 

In a first of its kind in the state, City Buses in Dimapur and Kohima along with Pink Buses for women, senior citizens and the disabled were introduced. We are also committed to making Nagaland more accessible and ensuring that the rights of the differently abled are protected in letter and spirit.

 

Under the Poshan Abhiyan, holistic nourishment action plan are taken up for children 0-6 years, pregnant women, lactating mothers and adolescent girls, and under PMMVY, first time pregnant women are granted incentives of Rs. 5000. To enhance capacity building, construction of Women Resource Centre at Chazouba was inaugurated in June 2018 for imparting skills and vocational trainings. Training-cum-Production Centre at Dimapur was launched in May 2018.

 

Nagaland Governor P. B. Acharya appealed to the people of Nagaland in general to have a sense of ownership and responsibility and to come forward and join hands with the government so that we can march together towards all-round development and the educated youth in particular to strengthen village economy and contribute to make Nagaland a vibrant economically self-sufficient, prosperous and Golden Nagaland.

 

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)