DIMAPUR, SEP 1 (NPN): Ministers in charge of various departments on Tuesday responded to several starred and supplementary questions raised by members on the first day of the ninth session of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly, a DIPR report stated.
SDO (PHED) at Tobu: Responding to a question from NPP legislator A. Nyamnyei Konyak on the non-posting of an SDO (PHE) at Tobu, PHED & Cooperation minister Jacob Zhimomi said the department was unable to post an officer due to an acute shortage of SDOs.
Against a sanctioned strength of 51 SDOs, the department currently has 46 officers. The executive engineer, Mon Division, PHED, is presently holding additional charge of Tobu Sub-Division. Zhimomi assured that an SDO would be posted at Tobu after completion of the training/attachment of newly appointed SDOs.
Medical coverage under PM-JAY: Health & Family Welfare minister P. Paiwang Konyak, replying to advisor Kuzholuzo Nienu, said the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) provides cashless coverage for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation, covering around 1,970 treatment procedures across 25 specialties. The scheme covers hospitalisation and specified day-care treatments, including dialysis, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and minor surgeries. Unspecified surgical packages are also available for eligible procedures subject to prescribed criteria and approval.
However, outpatient services and certain procedures, including cosmetic and aesthetic procedures, dental procedures and fertility treatments such as IVF and surrogacy, are excluded under the PM-JAY Exclusion Policy.
Nienu appreciated implementation of the Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme (CMHIS), saying it had provided financial relief to families facing serious illnesses.
He suggested strengthening awareness and enrolment, grievance redressal, fraud prevention, hospital empanelment and internet connectivity. He also suggested graded employee contributions based on salary categories.
On his supplementary question regarding additional charges by empanelled hospitals, Paiwang said hospitals under AB-PMJAY and CMHIS were not permitted to levy charges beyond prescribed packages without due procedure.
Beneficiaries could lodge complaints with concerned authorities, including the Nagaland State Health Protection Society (NSHPS).
The minister disclosed that six hospitals under AB-PMJAY and six under CMHIS had so far been found involved in such cases. Hospitals violating prescribed norms could face action, including withholding or affecting reimbursement.
NH-2 expansion: Deputy chief minister, in-charge of and PWD (National Highways), T.R. Zeliang, replying to NPP member Nuklutoshi, said Right of Way clearance was yet to be received for the 103/00 to 105/00 km stretch near Doyang Bridge. The 88/400 km stretch at Chukitong Town had been descoped due to non-availability of land.
Nuklutoshi appealed to tribal leaders and Hohos to resolve land issues by providing NOCs so the incomplete project could be completed.
Teacher vacancies: Chief minister Neiphiu Rio, replying to A. Nyamnyei Konyak, said teacher requirements were assessed school-wise based on enrolment, staffing pattern, Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) and actual requirements rather than through a single fixed vacancy figure.
Rio said government schools had a PTR of 7:1, compared to the All-India average of 24:1 and the NEP 2020 benchmark of less than 30:1. He said the State therefore did not face an overall teacher shortage in terms of student-teacher ratio, although requirements varied among schools.
Following rationalisation, government schools had been reduced from 1,939 to 1,881. Of these, 359 had fewer than 10 students and 819 fewer than 25 students.
Rio assured that the government would reassess and readjust the rationalisation, particularly in difficult and remote areas, to ensure access to education was not adversely affected.
MTS staff transfer: Deputy chief minister, in-charge of Home, Y Patton said a proposal for redeployment, transfer and posting of MTS staff from Phek to Meluri had been received from the Commissioner, Nagaland, following a joint meeting of the Deputy Commissioners of the two districts. He clarified that the Home department was examining the proposal and no final order had been issued.
Power consumption, revenue: Power and Parliamentary Affairs minister K.G. Kenye said meters were being provided free to all categories under the Centre’s Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), while consumers bore the cost of variable items such as service cables and MCB/Kit-Kat fuses.
For FY 2025-26, domestic postpaid consumers were charged Rs.5.90 per unit for 0-30 kWh, Rs.6.40 for 31-100 kWh, Rs.7.15 for 101-250 kWh and Rs.7.80 above 250 kWh. Prepaid domestic consumers were charged Rs.5.75 per unit for all consumption.
The department collected Rs.324.81 crore in revenue during FY 2025-26. It has installed over 57,300 smart meters and targets installation of 3,17,210 smart meters under RDSS by February 2027. Revenue collection for FY 2026-27 has been projected at Rs.400 crore.
