Kohima: Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio said today that negotiations between the “Naga Political Groups and the Government of India” have been going on in a cordial atmosphere to find a solution. He also said that all the members of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly have also come together and formed an opposition-less Government to convey to the “negotiating parties to give us an honourable, inclusive and acceptable solution”.
Neiphiu Rio informed this while delivering the Republic Day speech at the Nagaland Civil Secretariat Plaza in Kohima today.
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Earlier in his speech, the Nagaland Chief Minister asked the people to remember the “sacrifices made by the countrymen who gave their everything for the freedom of the nation”. He said that India as an independent republic has made “giant strides in every domain and Nagaland, which is nearing six decades as a state. He further said that Nagaland has also been “capably marching shoulder to shoulder with all the other states of the Union and contributing in strengthening the nation in every manner”.
Extending his solidarity to the family members of the Oting-Tiru village area and Mon town incident victims, the Rio said that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Nagaland Police is making good progress in its investigation and the Army has also constituted a court of inquiry. The inquiry is reportedly being completed at a fast pace. Rio stated that the State cabinet decided to take up for immediate repeal of the AFSPA, 1958 with the Government of India and the Nagaland Legislative Assembly in its Special Session passed a resolution on December 20, 2021 for repeal of AFSPA from Nagaland.
The chief minister said that to ensure good governance in an effective manner, the State Government created three new districts: Tseminyu, Niuland and Chumoukedima on December 20, 2021, and Shamator district on January 20, 2022. Neiphiu Rio further said that Tseminyu district fulfills the desire and aspirations of the Rengma people to have a district of their own and Shamator district creation is the culmination of sincere efforts made by the Yimkhiung and Tikhir people by resolving their decades old disputes amicably, and recognition of Tikhir as a separate Naga tribe. Neiphiu Rio added that the creation of Niuland and Chumoukedima districts was the need of the times and, besides giving the right historical perspective resolves the matter with regard to the headquarters of the erstwhile Dimapur district. The Chief Minister added that there are other demands for creation of new districts, but the State Government would not like to divide single tribe districts in keeping with the Government’s motto of unity.
On the COVID-19 pandemic, Rio said that with the cooperation and support of various sections of the society, the State was able to take quick and timely actions during the second wave the previous year. As the State is facing the third wave of the pandemic, the chief minister stated that Health & Family Welfare department has been ramping up its infrastructure over the last year. He informed that s total of one thousand two hundred eighty-one (1281) oxygen beds and one hundred sixty-three (163) ICU beds including ninety-seven (97) with ventilators have been set up and every district has been provided with at least one PSA oxygen generator plant. He also stated that a 200-bedded acute care hospital at CIHSR, Dimapur was build and make operational, in a record time and an additional 50-bedded fully equipped ward has been established at District Hospital Dimapur. The Police Department also operationalized a fully equipped 100 bedded hospital at Police Referral Hospital, Chumoukedima. Rio urged every person above 15 years of age in the State to take the COVID-19 vaccine and asked everyone to do away with misinformed and false messages.
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As part of Community Outreach Program, a mobile application “Call Your Cop” which will allow citizens to get in touch with police personnel on duty in an easier manner was launched by the State Police. Rio said that the Nagaland Police in the year 2021 had a significant achievement when it seized 290 gold bars weighing 48.14 kg, worth over Rs. 22.78 crore, which is the single biggest seizure of the smuggled bullion in the State. The State Government took another step towards e-governance and quality of implementation of ILP regime in the State, when it launched the online ILP module for all the categories of ILP on December 16, 2021.
NNN
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