Nagaland government spent INR 10.33 crore on returnees

Our Correspondent
Kohima, June 12 (EMN): The government of Nagaland has spent INR 8.68 crore in managing quarantine centres (QC) and another INR 1.65 crore in arranging transportations to bring back stranded citizens of Nagaland from other states till date, taking the total amount to INR 10.33 crore.

This was informed by Mmhonlumo Kikon, state spokesperson for Covid-19 and advisor of IT, Science and Technology, and NRE at a news conference held in Kohima on Friday.

The expenditure incurred by the state government in the preparation and the management of quarantine centres as of June 12 is INR 8,68,63,146 for all the districts in Nagaland, Kikon said. The managing of the quarantine centres included food, lodging, maintenances etc.

Government of Nagaland, through its district task force (all districts), has hired caterers for the mess/food service in the quarantine centres. “Therefore, it is the caterers (hired by the DTF) who are handling the food services for the quarantine centres, while the state government pays them money,” the advisor added.

For any complaints and issues concerning food quality, “the district task force is tasked to ensure that the caterers do their duty for the money that we had paid them,” he said.

As for the amount incurred till date for buses and trains, which the state government has hired, is approximately INR 1. 65 core, the advisor informed. The government has hired 32 buses from 13 different states and nine special trains to transport citizens of Nagaland from other states, he added.

When asked about the inter-district movement expenditure, the advisor said that details would be made available in the next press conference.

Citing the High Powered Committee (HPC) meeting held on Friday, the advisor said that the committee led by the chief minister had conducted a video conference with the districts’ deputy commissioners, chief medical officers, and superintendent of police to receive update on works and issues faced by them at the ground level.

Webinar with DoNER minister

The advisor gave a gist of the discussions between Dr. Jitendra Singh, minister of state, (independent charge), development of North Eastern Region North Eastern state and NE chief ministers including Nagaland chief minister, via webinar on ‘implementation of e-office in North Eastern States’, on Friday.

Kikon said that “the proposal by the state government for initiating an e-office, in order that all file taking management will be done electronically,s has reached the DoNER ministry. Further, the minister of state had acknowledged that e-office is the priority of the prime minister’s programme”.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has also reminded the minister that the submissions already made for the airport in Kohima, be ‘reminded for renewal’, the advisor informed.

Kikon said that one of the major issues raised during the webinar was the Trans Nagaland highway/foothill road, which was already placed before the government of India; with the chief minister urging the ministry to take it up on priority. This is to ensure that state’s economic policy for the unemployed youth would be facilitated and supported, he added.

Principal Secretary Abhjit Sinha further informed that the government-arranged trains and buses have transported about 7700 stranded citizens of Nagaland from other states. This includes the train arriving on Saturday as well as another train that is expected to reach Nagaland on June 16 from Delhi. He added that more than 3700 returnees have arrived by regular trains and other modes of transportation.