Our Correspondent
Kohima | February 22
The total expenditure incurred for organising the 19th edition of the annual Hornbill Festival in 2018 was Rs.8 crore, against the state government earmarked Rs.5 crore for the same.
In reply to a starred question raised by opposition MLA Chotisuh Sazo, the department of Tourism has furnished that the state had spent Rs.800.82 lakh on its annual cultural and tourism extravaganza.
The legislator in charge of the department had earlier in November 2018 announced at the pre-event press conference that the government had earmarked Rs.5 crore for the 19th edition of the festival.
For conducting Mini Hornbill festivals, the state government allocated Rs.2.5 crore: Rs.15 lakh each for Mokokchung (Tsungremmong), Noklak (Tsokum), Peren (Chega-Gadi/Meilegi), Wokha (Tokhu Emong), Zunheboto (Ahuna), Tuensang (Poanglum), Athibung (Mimkut), Kohima (Sekrenyi) and Phek (Sukrunye), and Rs.10 lakh each for Meluri (Yemshe), Tseminyu (Ngada) and Dimapur (Bishu). Against the total allocation, the department informed that Rs.1.5 crore was spent and a balance of Rs.1 crore was remaining.
Rio presents Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2018-19
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, who also hold finance portfolio today presented Supplementary Demands for Grants for 20018-19 on the floor of the House.
After the presentation, NLA deputy speaker Zhaleo Rio said that discussion and voting on the related matter will be taken up on February 23.
Earlier, on the second day of the ongoing third session of 13th NLA, the Commissioner & Secretary of NLA N. Benjamin Newmai reported the assent of the Governor of Nagaland to The Nagaland Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2018.
The Annual Administrative Report 2018-2019 of the different departments were laid on the floor of the House by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, deputy chief minister Y. Patton, minister for agriculture G. Kaito Ayemi, minister for forests, environment and climate change CM Chang and minister for planning & coordination and land revenue Neiba Kronu.
Status of upgradation of Khelhoshe Polytechnic at Atoizu
Opposition MLA Picto Shohe on Friday raised a question at the ongoing Assembly regarding the status of upgradation of Khelhoshe Polytechnic, Atoizu (KPA). In his reply, Minister for Higher and Technical Education Temjen Imna Along said as per AICTE Guideline and Regulation, accreditation from National Board of Accreditation (NBA), New Delhi is mandatory for up-gradation of existing Diploma Program to Degree Course. Therefore, he said the Directorate of Technical Education and the institute (KPA) are jointly working for getting accreditation from NBA. Towards this, he said Self Assessment Report (SAR) is under preparation by the institute and will be submitted to NBA within the current year, after which, the NBA team will visit the institute for assessment and the process of up-gradation will be initiated only after getting accreditation from NBA, he added.
Forest department generated Rs. 6.42 crore revenue in 2018-19
The state's department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has generated a total revenue of Rs.6,42,64,926 during the period April 2018 to January 2019.
This was stated by the Minister in charge of the department CM Chang in the ongoing Assembly session on Friday. Chang said the department did not utilize the revenue and had remitted the collected amount to the government treasury.
In regard to the department's activities to protect the environment from global warming, the minister highlighted that the Nagaland State Action Plan on Climate Change was approved by the Government of India in 2014. The action plan is multi-sectoral with eight identified sectors covering 28 departments and the first project under this in the Agriculture sector has been sanctioned and is under implementation. Chang mentioned that besides workshops and observation of World Environment Day, the department carries out plantation activities, involving students and village communities, which act as a mitigation as well as adaptive strategy against Climate Change. Also, he said the department has initiated the establishment of Community Conservation Areas across the state wherein villages are encouraged to preserve comoact forester areas. Such areas help in mitigating climate cnange through the conservation of carbon stock in the forests, he added.
