Govt. ready to help movement of workers, students

Our Correspondent
Kohima, April 30 (EMN): Chief Secretary Temjen Toy on Thursday said that Nagaland must take calculated and calibrated measures in the fight against Covid-19.

While speaking to a group of journalists in Kohima, he said that if the persons from other states presently stranded in Nagaland are willing to go back and their home states are ready to receive them after due arrangements, Nagaland government is in a position to send them back. 

Toy also maintained that the Nagaland government is yet to have the actual data of people from the state who are willing to come back. The number of stranded persons in different places according to government dashboard is about 15,000 to 16,000 people.

He said, “We don’t want chaos. It is not that we don’t want them to come, we want them to come. But we want to make it as seamless as possible and less inconvenient.”

He also informed that once the empowered group completes its tasks, the government would make an announcement to those stranded persons willing to come back home.

Toy maintained that coming from the neighbouring states is not of much a problem but he was concerned about the others stranded outside the north-eastern states in terms of logistics. He asserted that the state government will work out the logistics along with the government of India.

On the extension of lockdown, the official stated that the government is expecting fresh guidelines from the central government about the decision for extension of lockdown.

He informed that the state government will issue its own guidelines from May 4 taking cognisance of the decision of the government of India.

‘Covid-19 cess’ to meet exigencies

The chief secretary stated that the state government had imposed the Covid-19 cess on petrol and diesel to meet the financial exigencies arising out of the pandemic.

This was in response to the public criticism drawn by a letter notified by the additional chief secretary and finance commissioner, Sentiyanger Imchen on April 28.

Toy also maintained that the expenditure on the health sector alone is going beyond the budget, leaving aside the other departments.

‘Ambulances are brand new’

On the issue concerning the ambulances that were recently procured by the state government having registrations from other states, Toy stated after the Supreme Court’s order to use BS-VI vehicles, the vehicle manufacturing company had stopped production since November 2019, which in turn affected the government’s attempt to procure ambulances.

He informed that subsequently when Meghalaya got their new ambulances, the Nagaland government got in touch with its counterpart to get hold of a company in Uttar Pradesh and they were able to get the 10 ambulances.

They were reportedly meant for Delhi but with the help of a Naga officer serving in UP, the 10 ambulances were purchased for Nagaland.  

He informed that the company had pre-registered the ambulances because of the BS stages and asserted that the government is ‘clear in mind’ that the ambulances procured were brand new.

Toy also maintained that the government is concerned about schools and students.

He added that he had met with Education department officials and had been working on mechanisms for those who do have adequate facilities for online learning or home schooling.