There are many alternatives to solve Mon Medical College land issue, says Rio

Our Correspondent
Kohima, March 3 (EMN): Following the declaration made by the Chi Village Council to withdraw its no objection certificate (NOC) for setting up of the proposed medical college at Chi Ponghao in Mon district, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Wednesday said that there are ‘many alternatives’ if there is any problem in the earmarked location.

The Chi Village Council and Goching Village Council had stated in a joint statement on Tuesday that they had decided not to give an “inch of Ponghao” to establish the Medical College claiming that the government “had backtracked on its promises”.

Speaking to the journalists after taking his first dose of Covishield at Naga Hospital Authority Kohima, Rio said the ‘differences’ at the proposed medical college site ‘can be resolved’.

“If there is any problem in that location then in and around, there are many more alternatives. It should not be a problem”, he said.

He added that he is “in touch” with the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation, Konyak Union (KU) and his colleagues and legislators from Mon district. “They may have local issue but it should not be a problem,” he ensured.

It may be mentioned that Barely four days after Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan laid the foundation stone of Mon Medical College in Mon on February 26, the Chi Village Council and Goching Village Council issued a press release stating that it had decided to withdraw its NOC over failure of the authorities to fulfil several “pre-conditions” and the alleged order to remove “Chi” from the foundation stone.

On this, the deputy commissioner of Mon, Thavaseelan K, had earlier told Eastern Mirror that the district administration along with the Medical department and KU is working on sorting out the nomenclature issue and that it would be resolved soon.

He also pointed out that the plot, which has been earmarked for the medical college, is a “single landowner” at present, though the land traditionally belonged to Chi village.

Consultative meet on reservation

Meanwhile, speaking about the consultative meeting scheduled on March 5 to discuss reservation in public employment, Rio expressed hope that people will “come and speak out their mind”. 

In a state like Nagaland, it goes by “a system”; people practice a “very refined democracy. We do a lot of consultations and people should understand what the concept is”, he said.

Rio added that “sufficient consultations” should be conducted in order to “bring everything into a system”.

The cabinet sub-committee along with the chief secretary and Home department will be conducting a consultative meeting with the stakeholders at Hotel Japfu in Kohima on Friday at 10 am.

Earlier, the state government had informed that in view of the pandemic, the delegation was limited to a maximum of three members each from NSF, ENSF, ENPO, ENGOA, CNTC and TPO.