Committees deliberating with CSOs on RIIN, says Deputy CM

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Aug. 3 (EMN): Several starred questions including status of Register of the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) were raised on the first day of the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Tuesday.

Status of RIIN

Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton stated that the government of Nagaland decided to create RIIN with an objective to prevent issuance of fake indigenous inhabitant’s certificates.

However, he asserted that due to the views, opinions and concerns expressed over RIIN exercise by various sections of civil societies and tribal bodies, the government constituted a commission on RIIN with Banuo Z Jamir as chairperson along with two other members to study, examine, recommend and advise on all issues relating to it.

He stated this while replying to a starred question raised by MLA Kuzholuzo Neinu.

“The commission has submitted its report and thereafter a consultative meeting with all the tribal hohos and organisations on the proper modalities and systems to achieve the objectives of RIIN was held on 16th April, this year, while it was decided to constitute a state-level joint consultative Committee with Home Commissioner as convenor and representatives of CNTC, ENPO and TPO, and of the non-Naga scheduled tribes of the state as members, and in the districts, district-level sub-committee with DC as convenor and the respective tribal hohos of the district as members, for holding further deliberations with the various stakeholders from the state of Nagaland on the issues pertaining to RIIN,” he said.

“Presently the constituted committees as mentioned above are holding deliberations with the tribal hohos and organisations on the recommendations of the report and other issues pertaining to RIIN,” he added.

Appointment, amenities under PDA government

The CM stated that there were 19 persons (public) appointed in the ranks of cabinet/state minister, advisor, commissioner and secretary, secretary and joint secretary under PDA government excluding the MLAs.

While replying to the queries of Kuzholuzo Neinu, he maintained that the pay and allowances of the appointees varies from the status of cabinet ministers to pay level-17 and all their allowances including TA/DA were as per entitlement to Class-I officers in the state.

He added that five government vehicles (Innova, Scorpio and Bolero) were allotted to four of them from the Transport Special Pool.

UPAD and BADP Funds

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, who also holds the portfolio of Department of Under Developed Areas (DUDA), stated that there was no deduction from UDAP funds, as exemption from 15% pro-rata cut was given for the scheme.

He was replying to the unstarred question of NPF legislator YM Hollow on the purpose of deduction of 15% from UDAP funds during the financial year 2020-21.

Rio also provided detailed data of the allocation of funds under BADP constituency-wise.

He also stated that allotment of funds for the BADP schemes were given as per the following criteria of the MHA BADP guidelines:

1) Length of international boundary – 33% weightage.

2) Area of the border belt covering: Census villages/semi-urban areas situated within 0 to 10 km within the border block – 33% weightage.

3) Population of the census villages/semi-urban/urban areas situated within 0 to 10 km of international boundary – 33% weightage.

‘Allocation to these blocks were increased or decreased depending upon the overall fund allocation,’ he said.