Starred and unstarred questions: Key features of day two

Our Correspondent

Kohima, Feb. 23 (EMN): The second day of the third session of the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly discussed multiple issues ranging from the status of Tiru police outpost, creation of police outpost at Wozhuro, upgrade of Khelhoshe Polytechnic Atoizu; and total allocation of MBBS and BDS seats to Nagaland etc.

Land needed for Tiru police station

The deputy chief minister Y Patton said that there is no police outpost at Tiru in Mon district because of landownership issue. According to him, land has neither been purchased nor physical infrastructure established. However, the village councils of Lower and Upper Tiru have jointly agreed to donate approximately five acres of land at Upper Tiru  area for ‘which is under the process of acquisition,’ he said.

Schools without headmasters

In reply to a starred question from MLA Yitachu, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said that out of the existing 246 government high schools in the state, 38 schools were without headmasters/headmistresses; and 32 without both headmasters/headmistresses and assistant headmasters/headmistresses.

He assured that the “rationalisation of HM and AHM is under process.”

MBBS and BDS seats

A total of 159 Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and  36 Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) seats were allocated to the state of Nagaland from 2016-19. Further, three additional seats were allotted during 2018-19. This was stated by S Pangnyu Phom, minister of Health and Family Welfare, in reply to starred questions raised by legislator CL John.

Details of allocation of seats for the last three years:

Police outpost at Wozhuro

The proposal for creation of Wozhuro police outpost as proposed by the Superintendent of Police, Wokha was not possible, according to Y Patton. In reply to a starred question from NPFlegislator Chumben Murry, the home minister informed that the state government has sought another proposal explaining “how the police outpost can be manned without post creation.” The matter is still pending, he informed.

Khelhoshe Polytechnic, Atoizu 

Minister for Higher and Technical Education, Temjen Imna AlongLongkumer said that the directorate of Technical Education and the institute of KPA are “jointly working for getting accreditation from the National Board of Accreditation (NBA).” Further, self-assessment report is beingpreparation by the institute and will be submitted to NBA within this year, he said.

The NBA team will visit the institute for assessment. After which, the process of up-gradation of the institute from Diploma to Degree course will be initiated only after getting accreditation from the NBA, he informed.

Road maintenance and appointments

The total amount released by the government for maintenance fund under PWD (R &B) division for all the districts, during 2018-19 was INR 2500 lakh. This was stated by Tongpang Ozukum, minister of PWD in reply to an unstarred question made by opposition legislators Picto Shohe and Y Vikheko Swu.

For the district headquarters alone, the total amount for road maintenance fund allocation during 2018-19 released by the government was INR 5000 lakh.

Thirty-two Grade-IV staff were appointed from Mar. 8, 2018 to Feb. 2019 in the state’s Public Works Department, he informed. Out of the 32 staff, 11 were appointed under PWD (Housing), and 21 under PWD (Roads and Bridges) for different division and circles.

Transport revenue indicates decrease

In response to an unstarred query from NPF legislator Yollow Konyak about the revenue received by the Transport department for last three years, minister P Paiwang Konyak stated that the revenue received in 2016-17 was INR 910.00 lakh, 2017-18 was INR 752 lakh, and 2018-2019 (up to December 2018) was INR 513.00 lakh. The revenue trend, he pointed out, was decreasing by the year.

Also, he informed that as much as 141 buses in the department are non-operational and 106 are in operation, which showed the former overtakes the latter. There are 20 Nagaland State Transport night bus services, and 195 day bus services operating in the state of Nagaland, he informed.