KOHIMA, December 19: The state government is likely to cut the current year's plan size by 50 per cent to pre-empt the possibility of Nagaland landing in overdraft with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The decision has been taken as per an agreement with the Centre. The state finance department feared that there would be a shortage of resources on account of reduction in accruals from the state lottery and the general provident fund surplus, which would lead to a reduction in support to the annual plan during the current year. While the state plan size for the year 1999-2000 was finalised at Rs 315 crore, the state finance department projected internal revenue accumulation during the year at Rs 100 crore. But the mid-term plan appraisal as well as resource mobilisation revealed that the government would not be able to generate the targeted amount at the end of the current fiscal year. Although the Planning Commission insisted on the accumulation of Rs 31 crore from subscribers under the general provident fund scheme, there was a drastic reduction in realisation, department officials said. However, the government imposed certain ceilings on withdrawals from the general provident fund by its employees last week. "Unless plan expenditure is reduced by 50 per cent, the state will land in overdraft next year with the RBI," officials pointed out. According to a memorandum of understanding signed between the state government and the Union finance ministry in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, the state is not supposed to enter into overdraft with the central bank beyond a permissible limit. The Centre had earlier bailed out the state from a massive overdraft by granting a special advanced loan. But it had imposed conditions on government expenditure to maintain fiscal prudence. The Centre deducts nearly Rs 15 crore from the state's allocation every month against the loan. The Centre was informed about the state's precarious financial condition during a recent meeting with Planning Commission officials in New Delhi. Nagaland chief secretary AM Gokhale, finance commissioner Lalthara and planning and development commissioner RS Pandey represented the state. The state's resources for the next fiscal year have been assessed at a negative Rs 485 crore. This takes into account the disbursement of salaries to government employees as per the revised payscales. The state government has already accepted the fifth Pay Commission's recommendations with a slight modification. (Correspondent; The Telegraph, Calcutta; December 20, 1999)

GUWAHATI, December 25: Over 3,500 telephones in Assam's capital city ceased functioning about a month back due to mutilation of underground cables by the public works department, telecom officials said. BB Bhattacharjee, divisional engineer of telecom cable construction (Guwahati west), told The Telegraph that telephones in several areas "fell dead" after PWD workers "haphazardly" excavated the Paltan Bazar area thrice. Terming PWD's method of widening roads "unscientific", he said 14 cables, including 12 primary ones, snapped at several places. "Over 3,500 telephones in Ulubari, Rehabari, Chatribari, Athgaon, Kumarpara, Santipur and AT Road have since been out of order," he said. Bhattacharjee said PWD workers damaged cables on the southern side of the Panbazar flyover on November 5. "We immediately informed the PWD chief engineer (roads) about it. However, no action was taken," he alleged. The telecom engineer said PWD workers again caused damage to underground cables in the same area on November 18. "Our cables were over one metre below ground level. We do not understand why they did not take precautionary measures," he said. "On December 16, PWD workers damaged our cables for the third time. The extent of damage was even more this time," Bhattacharjee said. Several rounds of discussions were held between telecom and PWD officials, but to no avail. "We will now have to lay new cables along a 200-metre stretch," Bhattacharjee said, adding that PWD officials were delaying the process by not providing a passage to lay new cables. "If PWD takes so long, we do not know when we will be able to restore telephone services," he said. The telecom official said PWD workers also damaged a portion of the optical fibre line to Shillong in the same area last night. "Fortunately, the line is still functioning," Bhattacharjee said. However PWD chief engineer (roads) DC Barma said workers of his department were not responsible for the damage to telephone cables. "There is strict supervision by our engineers at all work sites. The question of damage to cables does not arise," he said. "In accordance with rules, the cables are to be laid at least 1.66 metres below ground level. "Our contractors and workers never dig beyond one foot. So how can telecom cables be damaged?" Barma said. (Correspondent; The Telegraph, Calcutta; December 26, 1999)

GUWAHATI, December 26: In a new twist to the controversy over execution of a Rs 230-crore shallow tubewell scheme in Assam, the Gauhati High Court has asked the AGP-led government to explain why it allotted the project to the agriculture department instead of the Assam State Minor Development Irrigation Corporation. The directive is in response to a petition filed by the employees' union of the corporation. "After doing all the hard work for three years and obtaining clearance from the Union finance ministry and the Planning Commission, we were deprived of the scheme," a corporation official said. "If the government had anything of this sort in mind, it should have informed us when the project was conceived," he added. Admitting the petition on December 3, the court observed that the government appeared to have discriminated against the corporation. It directed the government to submit an explanation within four weeks. "We are the only irrigation-specific implementing agency in the state. Then how is that the agriculture department took over the tubewell scheme?" said a member of the corporation employees' union. "We have been pushed to the brink. We have not received our salaries for the past 23 months. Had we been entrusted the responsibility of executing the mega project, we could have at least kept the corporation going," he said. The corporation is entitled to a 15 per cent commission on installation of every shallow tubewell. Another corporation official said the government had committed a major blunder by handing over the tubewell scheme to the agriculture department. "Installation of shallow tubewells is exclusively our job. The agriculture department has no role to play in it," he said. The official said the government had ignored the recommendations of the Mumbai-based Agriculture Finance Bank and a task force constituted by the Centre that the corporation should be vested with more powers. "The government cannot play with our lives. Something needs to be done. That is why we have moved court," he said. Irrigation minister Abdul Muhib Mazumdar backed the corporation's demands and criticised the Chief Minister for ignoring the proposal to revamp it. (Correspondent; The Telegraph, Calcutta; December 27, 1999)

IMPHAL, December 28: The Indo- Myanmar border at Moreh in Manipur has been sealed following erection of an "unauthorised fencing" at no man's land by Myanmarese authorities, delayed official reports said today. Security personnel, including police posted at the border town of Moreh in Chandel district closed all border gates on December 26 following construction of the fencing by Myanmarese authorities without information, the reports said. (PTI; The Hindu, Chennai; December 29, 1999)

IMPHAL, December 28: Police have sealed the Manipur sector of the Indo-Myanmar border, bringing trade in Moreh to a standstill. All the border gates were closed after the Myanmarese authorities began constructing a corridor-like structure in the area earmarked as "no man's land". Official sources said the decision to seal the border was taken on Sunday. Immigration officials initially lodged a complaint with the Myanmarese authorities, but it was ignored, they said. After informing the Manipur government and the Union home ministry about the development, Chandel district superintendent of police K Radhashyam Singh directed the border police to shut the gates. Myanmar has also shut down Namphalong market, located just across gate number 2 on the Indian side. Chandel deputy commissioner Prasant Kumar has invited his Myanmarese counterpart for talks to resolve the issue, but the latter is yet to respond. The stand-off has affected border trade in Moreh the most. Of all Indo-Myanmar trading points, Moreh attracts the largest number of traders. Transactions to the tune of several crores of rupees take place in the border town each day. Official sources said the border gates would remain closed till the Indian and Myanmarese authorities signed an agreement. The Manipur sector of the Indo-Myanmar border has always been a volatile zone. "In spite of repeated warnings from the Manipur government, Myanmar has been trying to expand its territory. Compounding the problem, the Centre has remained a mute spectator," an official said. The Manipur government recently constituted a four-member ministerial committee to look into the border dispute. The committee is headed by deputy Chief Minister L Chandramani Singh. The ministerial team is scheduled to visit the border areas in the first week of January. (Correspondent; The Telegraph, Calcutta; December 29, 1999)