On the second day of the Ninth Session of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly, a series of starred question raised by members of the August House were replied by Ministers in-charge on the floor of the house.
HORTICULTURE VILLAGES IN MON DISTRICTs:
Minister for Women Resource Development & Horticulture, Salhoutuonuo Kruse, informed the assembly that Five villages in Mon district have been selected as Horticulture Model Villages (HMVs) under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH).The minister was responding to a question raised by MLA A. Nyamnyei Konyak on the implementation status and beneficiary details of the HMV scheme in Mon district.
The selected villages are Tanhai for Citrus, Chenwetnyu for Large Cardamom, Yonghong for Kiwi, Changlangsu for Kiwi and Sangsa for Naga Mircha.
Konyak also raised a supplementary question regarding the appointment of a Sub-Divisional Horticulture Officer (SDHO) at Tobu subdivision following the retirement of the previous officer two years ago. Kruse informed the House that a new SDHO has since been appointed.
DELAY IN RETIREMENT BENEFITS OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEEs:
Replying to Starred Question raised by MLA, Nuklutoshi in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister and Minister in charge of P&AR, Dr. Neiphiu Rio, said that recurring delays faced by retiring State Government employees in receiving pension, gratuity, GPF/PS and other retirement benefits were primarily due to procedural lapses and delays at various stages of the process. He said these included inadequate guidance by departments to retiring employees, late issuance of Provisional Release Orders by concerned departments, and delayed submission of pension papers by retiring employees.
The Chief Minister also pointed out that some departments wait to compile the pension papers of all retiring employees before processing them, resulting in delays in the timely disposal of individual pension cases. Other reasons cited included incorrect entries in Service Books, wrong fixation of pay following promotion or grant of MACP, and undue delay in forwarding pension papers to the Office of the Accountant General.
Raising concerns during his supplementary, Nuklutoshi said retirement benefits were not a favour but a rightful entitlement earned by employees after years of public service. He noted that for many retired employees, pension was their principal source of livelihood and that unnecessary delays could cause serious hardship, particularly for those meeting medical and household expenses. He said the problem appeared to be systemic rather than confined to any particular department. Delays, he pointed out, could arise from incomplete or outdated service records, missing entries, errors in Service Books and GPF records, delayed verification, movement of physical files and transfer of officials handling pension-related matters.
Nuklutoshi stressed the need to identify pension-related discrepancies well before an employee’s retirement. He suggested that verification of Service Books, GPF records, NOC and other relevant documents should ideally begin around two years before retirement, allowing sufficient time for discrepancies to be rectified while the employee was still in service. He also called for clear timelines and a comprehensive tracking mechanism through which retiring employees could monitor the status of their pension cases and identify the office where their files were pending.
Referring to initiatives in other northeastern states, the MLA cited online pension processing and tracking systems in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, as well as digital pension workflows, defined timelines and automated pension payments in Meghalaya and Mizoram. He said these initiatives demonstrated that digital records, online tracking, automated payments and clearly defined responsibilities were practical possibilities within the region.
Nuklutoshi urged the government to move from a manual and reactive system towards a digital, time-bound and accountable mechanism, ensuring that employees could retire with the confidence that their retirement benefits would be processed and released in a timely manner.
He subsequently asked whether the government proposed to introduce a comprehensive online pension and retirement-benefits processing system, including digitisation of records, online tracking and an effective grievance-redressal mechanism.
Replying to the supplementary, Dr. Neiphiu Rio said the government was already seized of the matter and had initiated efforts to examine ways of improving the existing system. He said departments were required to adequately guide retiring employees on filling up pension papers and on the documents that needed to be enclosed with their pension claims.
Rio pointed out that delays could also occur due to the late issuance of provisional pension orders and No Demand Certificates (NDCs) by the concerned departments. He said some departments were compiling the pension papers of all retiring employees in bulk, causing unnecessary delays. In certain cases, pension papers were forwarded to the Accountant General’s office only after the employee had already retired, further delaying settlement of pension claims.
The Chief Minister stated that under the existing pension rules, pension papers of retiring employees should be forwarded to the Accountant General’s office at least six months before the date of retirement, so that pensionary benefits could be finalised and authorised in time.
On delays in the settlement of GPF and other retirement benefits, Rio explained that the existing procedures involved multiple stages and offices. In the case of final GPF withdrawal, the proposal has to be initiated by the concerned office and processed through the respective authorities before reaching the Finance Department and other agencies for final settlement.
He said delays could also arise when discrepancies were found in GPF entries or service records, requiring corrections. Proposals were sometimes returned due to incomplete documents, including release orders, sanction orders, NDCs, succession certificates and other required papers, further prolonging the process.
Rio also acknowledged that there had been instances where employees continued in service even after reaching the prescribed retirement age because the necessary retirement and pension formalities had not been completed in time. He informed the House that the government had constituted a committee to examine the existing system and identify measures to improve and streamline the entire process. The exercise, he said, would help address duplication, confusion and procedural delays.
The Chief Minister further emphasised the need for departments to identify employees due to retire well in advance, particularly at least six months before retirement, so that pension papers and related formalities could be completed on time. He assured the House that the government would take necessary measures based on the committee’s recommendations to address the existing shortcomings and ensure the smoother and more timely settlement of retirement benefits.
PIMS AND DRAWAL OF SALARY OF NAGALAND POLICE PERSONNELs:
In a starred question raised by MLA, Kuzholuzo Nienu, on the subject of PIMS and Drawal of Salary of Nagaland Police Personnel, Deputy Chief Minister, Yanthungo Patton, replied that PIMS alone is the deciding factor for drawal of Salary after the introduction of E-Pay System in Nagaland. He also added that the sanctioned strength of post is being strictly adhered to, while drawing the salary of Nagaland Police personnel. Responding to another query, that if the Nagaland Police personnel have been detected for drawing double salary, Patton stated that the Home Department has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate alleged cases of fraudulent drawal of multiple salary, and salary along with life pension, from more than one source within the State Government by government employees from several Departments including from Nagaland Police.
CLOSURE OF PROJECTS DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARs:
Advisor for SCERT & Food Processing, Achumbemo Kikon expressed serious concern over the closure of government projects due to delays in implementation and the consequent surrender of sanctioned funds. Referring to the project for conversion of workshop to bus station, night parking cum market complex, he noted that funds had been released as early as 2016, but the project could take off only in October 2020 due to delays in project clearance.
“If the money was sanctioned in 2016 and the project took off only in 2020, we are four years behind,” Kikon said, questioning whether such delays were attributable to bureaucratic red tape, the inefficiency of technocrats in preparing DPRs and executing projects, or the failure of contractors to carry out the works on time. He said several projects appeared to have resulted in substantial amounts being surrendered because of non-implementation and non-execution within the stipulated period.
Kikon also pointed out that in one of the projects, the Ministry could not consider or release the balance amount because of the delay in submission of the utilisation certificate, resulting in the surrender of funds. He sought clarity on where responsibility lay for such delays, particularly when clearances involved the district administration. Expressing concern over the financial implications, he said it was worrisome for the State to surrender substantial amounts of development funds at a time when Nagaland was facing financial constraints.
On the construction of the road from Noklak to Thonoknyu, Kikon noted that progress had been hampered by frequent landslides during monsoon conditions and importantly, disturbances from landowners seeking compensation along the alignment. Referring to another road project, Kikon said progress had similarly been affected by landowner compensation demands, frequent landslides and recurring law and order issues. He observed that the same problem was being witnessed in different parts of the State.
“People want good roads, they want big roads and they want better infrastructure, but when projects fall within their jurisdiction, we face problems from landowners,” he remarked, stressing that the issue required a broader solution. Referring to the infrastructure development project at Government Higher Secondary School, Mayangnokcha, Kikon said the construction works could not continue due to landowner issues. As a result, the unutilised amount of approximately ₹101.67 lakh was refunded to the NEC and the project was closed.
He expressed particular concern that such a project involved an important government higher secondary school and said the closure of projects due to land related disputes was a serious impediment to the State’s development. He maintained that responsibility had to be identified at every stage of project implementation so that public funds were not repeatedly surrendered. Kikon also acknowledged that landowner-related issues were a shared responsibility, noting that communities wanted development but disputes over land and compensation were often contributing to delays in the execution of projects.
He concluded by stressing the need for the government to identify the precise causes of project delays and ensure greater accountability among departments, implementing agencies, district authorities and contractors so that sanctioned development funds were utilised effectively for the benefit of the people.
He raised supplementary questioned on whether the recurring delays were due to bureaucratic red tape, inefficiency on the part of bureaucrats in executing funds sanctioned by the Government of India, inability of technocrats to prepare DPRs and complete technical formalities on time, or contractors failing to commence and complete works within the stipulated period.
Responding to the questioned raised on the closure of projects and surrender of funds, Deputy Chief Minister, TR Zeliang said delays often began at the departmental level, particularly when departments failed to process administrative approvals and tendering procedures in time. He said that even after funds were sanctioned by agencies such as the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) or the North Eastern Council (NEC), departments sometimes failed to initiate the necessary administrative processes and tendering for appointment of contractors within the stipulated time.
Zeliang said that, as pointed out by the questioner, 10 projects had already been foreclosed and the sanctioned funds surrendered, with landowner-related issues being one of the major reasons. Referring to some of the projects, he said several had remained incomplete for years despite being sanctioned much earlier. He noted that some projects sanctioned in 2022, 2017 and even 2012 had still not been completed.
The Deputy Chief Minister urged Ministers and Advisors in charge of concerned departments to take greater responsibility for ensuring that projects were processed and implemented on time. He appealed to Ministers and Advisors to regularly review the progress of projects with departmental officers and ensure that administrative approvals and tendering processes were completed without unnecessary delay.
Zeliang also highlighted the financial consequences of delays in implementing centrally sponsored projects. He said the State had been facing a high committed liability, which had increased to around 11 percent, and warned that unless the liability was brought down below five percent, the State could face difficulties in securing additional projects and funds in the future. He said the government had therefore been compelled to consider the foreclosure of certain projects to reduce the State’s committed liability. Although this resulted in the surrender of funds and penalties, he said there was little alternative if the State wanted to remain eligible for further assistance.
According to Zeliang, after some projects were foreclosed, the State had begun receiving approval for several new projects from the concerned agencies. He stressed that the experience should serve as a lesson for all departments, saying that projects must be implemented within the stipulated timelines and in accordance with Central Government guidelines.
Zeliang said the responsibility for timely implementation did not rest only with departmental officers but also with the Ministers and Advisors in charge of the respective departments. He urged them to take an active role in monitoring projects and ensuring that officers processed administrative approvals and initiated tendering immediately after sanctions were received.
NSHRC RECOMMENDATION ON WAGEs:
MLA, Nuklutoshi highlighted the extremely low wages being paid to workers engaged under the government, noting that the existing minimum wage is fixed at ₹176 per day for unskilled workers, ₹210 per day for Grade-I skilled workers, and ₹235 per day for Grade-II skilled workers. He called for an upward revision of the rates in view of the rising cost of living and the prevailing wage rates in neighbouring states. The MLA also sought to know what steps the government had taken to implement the recommendations of the Nagaland State Human Rights Commission (NSHRC) regarding the revision of wages for unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly skilled workers.
Responding to the query, Deputy Chief Minister, TR Zeliang, who holds the portfolios of Planning and Transformation and National Highways, stated that, following the NSHRC's recommendations, the State Advisory Board met on March 12, 2025, to consider the revision and fixation of minimum wages in the state. He informed the House that the Board had proposed revised daily wage rates of ₹297 for unskilled workers, ₹365 for semi-skilled workers, ₹400 for skilled workers and ₹450 for highly skilled workers.
Zeliang further stated that the draft recommendations of the State Advisory Board on the fixation of minimum wages for 2025 were referred to the Departments of Law and Justice and Finance for necessary vetting and concurrence. Following this, a Cabinet memorandum was submitted for consideration. Subsequently, a Cabinet meeting was held on March 23, 2026. Pursuant to the Cabinet's directives, the matter was re-examined by the Finance Department, which reiterated its earlier opinion. The department's position had previously been concurred with vide U.O. No. 199 dated June 19, 2025.
