Rio concerned over Kohima’s traffic malady

 

CROSSROADS: A now-common scene in Kohima, technology and humanity seen here teeming around a traffic island during rush hour. (File Photo)

Kohima : Concerned over the growing traffic congestion in Kohima, Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio today personally inspected the abandoned Border Road Organization (BRO) road connecting Naga Hospital and the Tinpatti area, Kohima.

Rio, accompanied by legislators and state officials, personally examined works in progress along the route connecting Naga Hospital Kohima to the Census office’s junction. He also visited the newly created lane behind NST, from the Kohima local ground to the Super Market areas as well as the works in progress on the Agri-Forest road.

During the inspection of the chief minister, the Kohima Police informed that the erstwhile abandoned road from the Naga Hospital Kohima to Tin Patti via lower New Market, Dak Lane, lower Naga Bazaar and Tinpatti (below Census Office) have now been rendered serviceable and pliable for light vehicles.

Sources revealed that Neiphiu Rio had personally ‘monitored’ the link road along with his entourage this morning and declared as pliable for light vehicles. This was his second checking along the link road during the last one and half month.

The link road would ease the traffic congestion to a large extend, he said while also requesting vehicle-users to put forth any suggestion that would help in reducing the traffic pressure in Kohima.

Meanwhile, in Dimapur, the construction by the Border Roads Organization on National Highway-39 created traffic problems due to blockades yesterday. As the construction works started Tuesday morning, commuters had to face problems crossing either side as the single lane was not enough for vehicles to move freely while traffic jams were created.

After people started complaining, the Dimapur Superintendent of Police had to intervene and clear the blockades. He even instructed the BRO people to carry out their works at night or on Sundays, while also assuring to provide police protection, if the works are to be carried out at night.

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Manpower Crunch in NERO

SHILLONG, Jan 15 : With 80 projects to monitor in a year, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest North East Regional Office (NERO), headquartered in Shillong, is facing a manpower crunch that has impaired its effective functioning.

With a sanctioned staff of 32, the regional office is presently hugely understaffed as only 12 members are there to look after the eight Northeastern States.

The North East Regional Office set up by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in 7 April, 1986 along with the regional offices in Bangalore, Bhubaneshwar, Bhopal and Lucknow doesn’t even have a regular Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF).

Very surprisingly 22 years after the regional office was set up, the Environment and Forest Ministry is yet to fill up 20 posts some of it at the very top level.

Considering that the mandate of the regional office created by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests is to monitor and evaluate ongoing forestry development projects and schemes with specific emphasis to conservation of forests, to undertake physical inspection of sites in cases of diversion of forest involving an area of more than 40 hectares, regional level technical and scientific consultation with the State advisory committee which are among some of the list of its job profile, the delay of appointing the required staff is perplexing.

At present the NERO CCF post is vacant with the Bhubaneshwar CCF RK Dey holding additional charge. He comes only for two days to Shillong office and inevitable all the files needing forest clearance get stranded in his office.

If adhoc arrangement of giving additional charge of NERO to the Bhubaneshwar CCF has been made then the second important post of Conservator of Forest is lying vacant.

NERO Deputy Conservator of Forest RL Sanga told reporters on Friday: “The shortage of manpower has certainly impact disposal of project proposals with the stipulated time frame of 45 days.

However, we try our best to perform up to our optimum.” In these 22 years of existence, NERO has approved 1,125 different projects and given the forests clearance in the eight Northeastern States.

According to Sanga, the job profile of NERO also involves traveling to different projects sites in the eight States — Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim. Inevitably, as there is manpower shortage, the effectiveness of this regional office is curtailed. NERO staff says that the position in other regional offices is far better as almost all the posts have been filled up.

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FNCCI Interim Body constituted

An Interim body of the “Federation of Nagaland Chambers of Commerce & Industry” was set up on Friday in Kohima following a meeting held at the Circuit House Kohima and attended by members of various Chambers of Commerce & Industry representing different districts of Nagaland.

The meeting constituted an FNCCI Interim Body with Bendangnukshi Longkumer as convenor, Khriehuzo Lohe as secretary, Tseilievinuo as treasurer and N.K. Angami, Ketulhoukho V. Keditsu, and N. Lanu Lemtur as executive members.

The Federation of Nagaland Chambers of Commerce & Industry that will soon be formally launched will be the apex body for all Chambers of Commerce & Industry of the state, as decided at the meeting. N.K. Angami, member Interim Body, FNCCI informing this in a release stated that the interim body has been constituted for a period of three months and will during this period formulate all necessary procedures to formally launch the Federation of Nagaland Chambers of Commerce & Industry by the first week of April, 2009.

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Mokokchung targets ‘health for all’ through communitisation

 

Members of the public who helped in constructing the ambulance garage at CHC Mangkolemba.

Services:

1.    Total OPD patients (DH only)    : 18694           
2.    Total IPD patients (DH only)    : 4026
3.    Total JSY Beneficiaries    : 964 (60%)
4.    Total Blood slide positive for Malaria    : 1372 (Pv: 1073 & Pf: 229)
5.    Annual Total TB case detection rate    : 86 per lakh population
6.    Cure Rate For TB cases Detected    : 90%
7.    Total Leprosy Cases detected    : 05
8.    Total Cataract Operation    : 202
9.    Total Blood Tested positive for HIV    : 116
10.    Total Blood Tested positive for Syphilis    : 18
11.    Total Blood Tested positive for Hepatitis B    : 07
12.    Total Blood Tested positive for Hepatitis C    : 02
13.    Total Blood Units Voluntarily donated    : 672 

The Department of Health & Family Welfare in Mokokchung district has reiterated its objective of striving to strengthen the existing healthcare delivery system and sustainable development with the goal for equitable distribution of services and universal access to quality services.

In its Annual Report, the Chief Medical Officer of Mokokchung, Dr L Sutsungkokba Ao gave a brief summary of the activities and achievement of the department.

The CMO has thanked the government for its keen interest in the development of health services and putting health at the centre of social and political agenda and tapping the community resources through Communitisation.

The CMO, however, admitted that without the sincere and committed team of health personnel, what we see today would not have been attained. “Seeing their motivation, commitment and initiatives to improve the quality of health care, people from all walks of life are coming together to fight against disease and for health with the understanding ‘all for health to achieve Health For All’,” the CMO stated in a press presentation.

The CMO in its summary report also gave an overview of the infrastructure development. It was disclosed that with the communitisation of all the public health institutions, VHCs were formed in all the 51 SC.

Besides, HCMCs were constituted in 10 PHC and 3 CHC, HMS in the District Hospital, while formation of HCMC in all the 5 ‘big dispensaries’ has been started.

For equitable and effective delivery of healthcare, formation of VHCs in all the 27 Non-Health Centre Recognized Villages has been initiated.

Further, as a bridge between the community and the health institution, the department selected 128 (90% achievement) ASHA as voluntary workers and 3 ASHA coordinators.

During the year 2008, the following key manpower was appointed against various health units in the district: 10 MO, 13 SN, 27 ANM, 7 PHN/LHV, 7 lab technicians, 1 CT scan technician, 1 ECG technician, 2 pharmacists, 1 telemedicine operator, 1 DPM, 1 Media Officer, etc. As a continuing skill upgradation process and in consonant with the ‘Year of Capacity Building’, 20 trainings on different activities were held for various categories of Health personnel, the CMO informed.

Further, of the 3 CHCs (Changtongya, Mangkolemba and Tuli), CHC Mangkolemba was upgraded to First Referral Unit, while 3 ambulances (Gypsy) were provided to all the 3 CHCs. In order to strengthen the outreach activities, the department launched a Medical Mobile unit and a Mobile ITCTC (fully equipped mobile unit).

As far as civil works construction goes, the CMO informed that a new OPD and administrative complex in the District Hospital was inaugurated by the Minister for health & family welfare.

The GNM School was upgraded by extending the classrooms, and two hostels (each for boys and girls) were constructed for the GNMs students. With the upgradation of the CHC Mangkolemba to First Referral Unit, 3 staff quarters were constructed while the hospital was refurbished and extended.

Further, with the upgradation of 4 PHCs (Mangmetong, Chuchuyimlang, Longjang ) to 24x7 facility, a new Hospital building was constructed at PHC Longjang. New buildings for the following SC were inaugurated: Unger, Salolemang, Pangsang, Mopongchuket and Kumlong. Likewise, 3 new buildings for Sub-Centres (Waromong, Dibuia and Yaongyimti) are under construction, it was informed.

morung express news

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