‘No Work, No Pay’ to be strictly enforced in Wokha: Y Patton

WOKHA, MAY 13 (MExN): Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton, newly appointed Chairman of the Wokha District Planning and Development Board (DPDB), issued a strong directive enforcing a "No Work, No Pay" policy for government employees in the district.

Addressing the DPDB meeting held on May 13 at the DC’s conference hall, Patton underscored the importance of regular attendance and warned that he would personally conduct surprise inspections across departments. He announced that wages of absentee employees would be deducted and redirected to support civil society organizations in the district.

“People coming from interior areas should not suffer due to absenteeism of government employees,” Patton asserted, emphasizing accountability in public service.

To strengthen participation and ensure timely development, Patton declared that DPDB meetings would be held on Saturdays starting next month and made attendance mandatory for all officials. He encouraged departmental heads to submit development proposals and infrastructure requirements to higher authorities for effective execution.

Patton also informed the board that the proposal for constructing a new Wokha Deputy Commissioner’s office had been approved. The new complex, he said, would resemble a mini-Secretariat. He appealed to Lotha Hoho, Lotha Students’ Union (LSU), and Lotha Women Hoho to closely monitor the contractor’s workmanship, adding that funds would not be released if quality standards were not met.

Chairman of the Bhandari Sub-Division Planning Board, Achumbemo Kikon, also addressed the meeting, highlighting key developmental initiatives, including improvements to the Wokha–Merapani road, the DC’s Complex construction, the Merapani seed farm, and a proposal to establish an Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) headquarters at Doyang.

He also revisited the proposal to rename Government Higher Secondary School, Wokha, to Lt. Mhondamo Memorial Higher Secondary School, in memory of M. Kithan—Nagaland’s first Education Minister, the first graduate among the Lothas, and the second President of the Naga National Council. Patton endorsed the proposal, stating that renaming the institution would honor Kithan’s contributions to education and leadership in the Lotha and Naga communities.

The DPDB also felicitated top-performing students from the district in the HSLC and HSSLC examinations. Denben C Murry (Spring Dale School, 8th rank), Sojano Erui (Libemo Memorial School, 13th rank), and Zejano H Ngullie (Fernbrook School, 17th rank) were honoured. Patton personally handed over Rs 20,000 each as a token of appreciation.

Senior Scientist and Head of ICAR-KVK Wokha, Dr Sandeep Deshmukh, presented a report on agricultural schemes and training programs implemented over the past year. He highlighted ongoing challenges such as poor road connectivity and lack of permanent water sources, which continue to affect farmers in the district.

The meeting was presided over by Deputy Commissioner Vineet Kumar, IAS. It marked the official welcome of Y Patton as the new DPDB Chairman, while also acknowledging the contributions of outgoing Chairman Mhonbemo Humtsoe. The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks from the chair.