Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio on Wednesday asked the people to focus on agriculture, allied sectors and progressive entrepreneurship taking advantage of the situation arising out of COVID19 pandemic.
The Nagaland chief minister said this while addressing a joint meeting with district officers, civil societies, Church leaders and NGOs at Tuensang deputy commissioner’s conference hall.
He said the COVID19 cess was levied on fuel prices recently in the state to reinforce the medical facilities and equipment to make them sustainable in every situation.
The state government imposed COVID19 cess on petrol by Rs 6 and diesel by Rs 5 from the April 28 midnight.
The CM appreciated the hard work of all stakeholders in the fight against COVID19 pandemic.
He updated the meeting on the video conferencing with the central government regarding law and order situation, loopholes and the success stories in the fight against the virus.
Rio along with deputy chief minister Y. Patton, forest minister C.M. Chang and health minister S. Pangnyu Phom also inspected the COVID19 hospital in Tuensang.
The chief minister congratulated the efforts of the people and the Tuensang Chamber of Commerce and Industries in setting up of an ICU in the hospital.
“We have seen loopholes in implementation in safeguarding to defending even in developed countries. We have also faced such problems here,” he said.
“We shall try our best to fight against the disease,” Rio added.
He said despite hard works and lockdown, COVID19 cases are on the rise in the country.
The chief minister asked the government departments, civil societies, churches and NGOs to strive for the safety of the public.
“As the aged people are more vulnerable to the virus, we shall still continue to take care of them using the guidelines to contain the infection even though we do not have positive cases till now,” he said.
He also announced the relaxation of the lockdown measures and inter-district movement of the stranded people.
Patton, who also holds the home portfolio, asked Tuensang deputy commissioner Kumar Ramnikant to direct all villages to open the village gates and allow the stranded people to come to their respective homes.
Phom, responding to a memorandum for the installation of the ventilator at Tuensang district hospital, said presently it is being installed in Kohima and Dimapur and other districts will follow suit.
He asked the district administrations and the medical department to check the quality of the medical consignments received and return it if they are not up to the mark.
Later, Rio distributed relief to daily wage earners which was arranged by the Tuensang District Disaster Management Authority while Patton donated walkie talkie sets to village guards of Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire and Shamator.