Nagaland Legislative Assembly session: Replies to starred questions

On the last day of the two-day session of the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA), the ministers in-charge of various departments responded to several starred question raised by members of the house.
Stop all illegal sawmills in the state, says Azo: Raising concerns over the felling of trees in the State, Kuzholuzo Nienu, MLA, said that no matter how much the government tried it would be impossible to stop felling of trees.
He, therefore, suggested that that the only solution was to stop all illegal sawmills that had been opened up all across the State.
He requested the minister in-charge to make sure that all the illegal mills were stopped.
Responding to this, minister in-charge environment, forest & climate change, YM Yollow, said that it was not possible to close down mechanised furniture units as those were opened up with clearance from the department itself. He that a committee was needed to monitor and give clearance to proposals for new mechanised furniture units as many new illegal units open up without proper clearance from the government.
572 teachers in govt colleges: Minister higher education Temjen Imna Along informed that the total strength of the professors, assistant professors and lecturers in government colleges across Nagaland was 572– 412 as regular and 160 under assistant professor on fixed pay.
Responding to a query raised by NPF legislature party leader, Kuzholuzo Neinu, on the total strength of some colleges, Imna Along informed that there were 171 under government colleges in Kohima district (Kohima Science college, Jotsoma—93; Kohima college—60 and State college of Teacher Education—18. Fazl Ali college Mokokchung has 70, Sao Chang College, Tuensang has 40 and Phek Government College, Phek has 39.
Adding a supplementary question, Neinu stressed that there were very less professors in the other districts in comparison with Kohima, adding that it lacked rationality. In response, Imna Along said assured that a good number of professionals would be selected and posted to the respective places soon.
Debate on mini secretariat complex: Responding to a question posed by Kuzholuzo Nienu, MLA, on the Status of mini secretariat complex in Phek district, the state chief minister Neiphiu Rio said that there should be a system and that offices should not be named as one pleases.
He pointed out that since the Nagaland secretariat complex houses all the head of departments and assistant head of departments, the usage of mini secretariat for the district complexes may not be proper. He opined that the new complexes should be called DC’s office complex and not secretariat.
He also observed that those DC complexes would function better if all the district officers work together.
Rio said many departments in the districts work in isolation like separate entities and therefore it would be more productive if they stay under one roof and work collectively as a unit.
Earlier, Imkong L Imchen, MLA, while supplementing on the status of mini secretariat complex construction at Phek district, observed that since such offices including the newly constructed one at Mokokchung, were district offices manned by district level officers, the usage of “mini secretariat” may not be appropriate.
He acknowledged that although a cabinet decision may be required to change the nomenclature the same should be changed.
To this, minister PWD, Housing & Mechanical, Tongpang Ozukum, informed that they had received the proposal to change to nomenclature as requested by MLA, who is also the district planning and development board, chairman. Supplementing to this, Neiba Kronu, said the project was initiated in the last government after observing that many officers at the district did not attend the office.
Kronu, therefore, said that bringing the officers together would help achieve better attendance since they would have to work closer to the respective ADCs.
According to the written reply, the mini secretariat undertaken at Pfutsero ADC headquarters in Phek district was presently 95% and the total amount released was Rs 4 crore while Rs 76 lakh was yet to be released and the project was like to be completed by October/November 2022.
Maintenance fund for Mokokchung town: Responding to a query posed by Dr Ngangshi K Ao, MLA, on the amount of funds sanctioned under maintenance for Mokokchung town during financial year 2021-2022 & 2022-2023, the chief minister Neiphiu Rio informed that an amount of Rs 16 lakh was sanctioned for 2021-2022 while for the 2022-2023 was yet to be sanctioned.
He said that the issue raised by the legislator on the deplorable condition of the approach road to the district hospital was a pertinent and that following the proposal fund of Rs 1.07 crore for maintenance of the road had been sanctioned.
He further informed the house that some roads in towns were under urban development while some were under PWD and therefore all the roads in towns should be brought under urban development.