The Nagaland Congress on Thursday suggested some measures as lockdown exit plan to sustain livelihood in the state.
Calling chief minister Neiphiu Rio’s lockdown exit plan vague which has no direction, NPCC president K. Therie, said, “We have to prepare to live with the coronavirus for times to come.”
Therie said Rio in his exit plan has ignored economic distress and suggested that the state government address certain issues on priority to sustain livelihood.
It referred to the “distress letter” of the chief minister to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for release of Centre’s share of taxes.
The NPCC said when the sycophancy of the state government of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party and BJP cannot even get its own share of taxes released, there is no question of additional or special plan and non-plan assistance being given to the state.
“We cannot expect the BJP government to rescue the state’s huge deficit economy. We must plan for a self-content economy,” the NPCC said.
The NPCC opposed sending away migrant workers from the state, saying this will further paralyse development activities.
It said the government should plan to facilitate workers to continue in works instead of sending them away, if they wish to stay back.
Considering the economic impact on each citizen and family after the lockdown, the NPCC said the government should provide free education as every family cannot afford online education.
The state government may think of the state’s own satellite channel or online learning facilities for meeting this emerging necessity, it said.
“If the YouTube class can be tuned for all, with android tablets, the objective may be met, but nothing like having state’s own channel and today it is affordable,” it suggested.
The NPCC said the government should increase grant in aid to private schools and reduce admission and tuition fees.
Some other measures suggested by the NPCC include health services and health insurance schemes for every citizen, stimulus to restructure economy, resolution of the Naga political problem to be free from multi-taxation, loan facilitation for local entrepreneurs from banks and other financial institutions.
It also suggested declaration of all areas under town and municipal councils as cadastral areas, allocation of land for industries in the industrial zone, plan to create two lakh jobs, facilitation for agricultural growth and arrangement of marketing channels, training of local workforce to replace migrant workers, compensation to hospitality sector, providing stimulus to agriculture and farming and reduction of taxes, rent and utility bills.