Doctor-IRB row: Nagaland Cabinet asks Chief Secretary to mediate

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Sep. 3 (EMN): After studying the report submitted by the inquiry commission in relation to the August 21 incident involving a doctor and IRB personnel in Dimapur, the Nagaland Cabinet has assigned the chief secretary to “initiate meetings” with the respective associations of the parties involved — doctors and police associations.

This was informed by the minister for Planning and Coordination, Land Revenue and Parliamentary Affairs, Neiba Kronu, on Thursday following a Cabinet meeting to discuss the report.

On August 23, the state government had formed a three-member inquiry committee, comprising senior government officials headed by a commissioner and secretary, to probe the incident in which the doctor and the IRB personnel got into an altercation. The committee was given seven days’ time to submit its findings.

Both the parties involved have filed their respective first information reports.

According to Kronu, the committee had submitted its report within the stipulated time. He said that the government was satisfied with the report.

He maintained that the incident that took place on the night of August 21 was triggered by a ‘parking issue’, adding that random parking often creates problems.

Forgive and forget

The minister also appealed to both the parties involved in the incident to embrace the principle of ‘forgive and forget’.

He said that the incident must not affect services or cause public suffering.

“We are all concerned and we want to bring everyone close together,” said Kronu, adding that the doctors and the police personnel need to work together.

“We are confident that the parties involved in the incident; they have come to a better understanding now,” said the minister.

Easing traffic congestion

Kronu reiterated that traffic congestion in the state capital Kohima and the commercial hub Dimapur is a serious matter.

“We cannot continue like this, when we cannot reach hospital on time, when we cannot reach examination hall on time and when we cannot reach important meetings on time, this is a very serious matter,” he said.

He informed that the Nagaland GIS, Planning department have worked out a module for outer-ring road, flyovers or any kind of bridges to ease the traffic congestion. The department is ‘working on it now,’ he added.

Kronu maintained that the government will pursue the matter with funding agencies.

“Funding agencies can be of externally funded project or foreign direct investment or from any other source; then we will try to propose and bring some changes,” he said.

Economic hardship

The minister also said that the relaxation of most lockdown measures in the state has been necessitated by economic hardships as well as the Centre’s directive. 

He underscored the need to focus on agriculture, especially winter crops.

Kronu maintained that it is difficult to attract big industries to the state currently and agriculture is an area where the state can ‘offer and compete with the world’.

He reiterated that organic produces are something the state can offer and emphasised on the idea of transforming Nagaland into the ‘land of coffee and honey’.

The minister reminded that the government has set up the ‘strategic and planning group’ and plot the state’s economy post-pandemic. He asserted that the group is focusing on the agriculture sector, small scale and industries sector, and entrepreneurship.