Newmai News Network
Aizawl | February 7
Mizoram’s apex student body, Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) on Thursday demanded separate time zone for Northeast. MZP president, L Ramdinliana Renthlei said that separate time zone for Northeast is a long standing demand as it would increase “daylight savings and efficiency”. He argued that the Sun rises and sets in the Northeast earlier by an hour than in other parts of the country, and that, several daylight hours are wasted as government offices and schools open at 9:30 or 10 am and close at 4 or 5 pm. He also said that the Northeastern states be allowed to advance their clocks by some time (1 hour) to save daylight hours.
L Ramdinliana Renthlei is of the opinion that a change in time will allow the citizens to make use of added daylight hours and also increase their working hours in a day, which will, in turn, give a fillip to the economic activity in the region. Meanwhile, the MZP also demanded the state government not to change but use the existing school timing introduced by the previous Congress ministry in 2015, according to which school hours starts at 8 am and ends at 2 pm.
Renthlei said that the student body leaders on Thursday called on state Education minister, Lalchhandama Ralte following media reports that the state government is mulling to change the existing school timing and re-introduce the old timing as per which school hours begin at 9:30 am and end at 4 pm. “We told the minister that MZP is strongly against the old school timing (9:30 am to 4 pm) as it is wastage of daylight hours, and that, students do not have enough time to engage in study,” he said, adding that, the minister promised them that he would look into the matter and take necessary action accordingly.
