Asserting 60 years was not an age to retire, the state chief minister and leader of the house, Dr. Neiphiu Rio Friday stressed the need for pension policy review. He was answering to the supplementary question raised by NPF legislature Achumbemo Kikon on old age pension scheme.
Acknowledging the advancements in medical science that have increased life expectancy, the chief minister noted that state government employees retired at the age of 60, while in other states and central government services, the retirement age was higher.
He emphasised that the issue should be reviewed by both the Government of India and Government of Nagaland (GoN) to ensure alignment and fairness. Rio noted that active individuals tend to live longer and remained healthier, suggesting that early pension eligibility might discourage working and lead to dependency.
He stated that 60 years was not an age to retire as there was still much life to live.
The chief minister said the policy of the Government of India has certain limitations. As per records from various district welfare officers, he said there were 16,003 eligible beneficiaries, who were yet to be covered under the old age pension scheme.
Many more eligible individuals cannot be included due to the cap imposed by the ministry, which is based on the Below Poverty Line (BPL) population from the 2021 census and highlighted the need for updating.
He further added that once the state’s financial situation improves, efforts will be made to ensure justice and better support for the elderly population. The chief minister also addressed the issue of fraudulent beneficiaries. He said village councils played a crucial role in identifying eligible individuals.
He called for sincerity in this process and said discussions were ongoing regarding increasing the pension amount and determining the appropriate age for eligibility under the “old age pension” scheme.
Achumbemo Kikon, expressing concerns over the old age pension scheme during supplementary question hour, emphasized the need for a dedicated policy to support elderly parents and grandparents. He informed that the current government policy considered individuals aged 60 and above as eligible for old age pensions.
However, Kikon said that it was Centre’s policy and cannot be changed immediately.
Instead, he suggested that the state should develop its own policy to address local needs.
Advisor for water resources, Tongpang Ozukum, supplemented the discussion by questioning the criteria for availing the old age pension. He said many eligible elderly individuals in his constituency were not receiving the benefits. NDPP legislator TK Sukhalu also participated, seeking clarification on the number of beneficiaries, which currently stood at 63,372, and whether this was the maximum limit.
Advisor social welfare Wangpang Konyak, in his reply, said that every scheme or project has underlying guidelines and eligibility criteria for execution and beneficiary inclusion.
He said that deviations from these criteria often occurred due to intentions to be more accommodative, inclusive, or generous, which can lead to unintended consequences.
He acknowledged that there were likely many genuine individuals in the state who were not covered under the scheme, raising questions about the coverage limits. Konyak called for public education and awareness to ensure meaningful implementation of the scheme and to create opportunities for more deserving individuals to be included.
Encroachment issue: State chief minister and leader of the house, Dr. Neiphiu Rio, stated that he was unaware of government entities encroaching on each other’s land.
He was responding to the supplementary question advisor of school education, Dr. Kekhrielhoulie Yhome, who highlighted and questioned of such encroachments.
Rio said the issue came to light only after it was reported in the media.
He asserted that if any land was to be allocated—whether to private or government entities—proper procedures, including NOCs or recommendations from relevant authorities must be followed.
The chief minister said that such matters typically fell under the jurisdiction of the state-level acquisition authority. He said there may have been procedural lapses and assured that the issue would be investigated.
Dr. Yhome highlighted instances where government entities were encroaching on each other’s land, engaging in reckless construction activities citing example of the government middle school at Midland, Dimapur. He said the plot was actually school property then the health and family welfare built their establishment and the colony council also went and occupied the same place and expressed desire to build council hall there.
He raised concerns and questioned the potential procedural lapses and the necessity of obtaining No Objection Certificates (NOCs) before undertaking any such activities.
AFSPA: State chief minister Neiphiu Rio replying to supplementary question raised by NPF legislator Achumbemo Kikon acknowledged the concerns and explained that the reimposition of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) was primarily due to security concerns, despite the ongoing dialogue and the Framework Agreement signed on August 3, 2015.
He noted that the lack of a final solution and internal divisions among Nagas might be contributing to Centre’s decision. He also said that the Centre had notified the extension of AFSPA on December 17, but the state government only received the notification on December 24.
The chief minister expressed concern over the questioning of missionaries and individuals married to Nagas by government authorities. He reiterated that, as long as the Naga political issue remained unresolved, the Centre was likely to continue extending AFSPA periodically, despite the state government’s consistent recommendation against it.
NPF Legislature Achumbemo Kikon questioned the imposition of the Protected Area Permit (PAP) in Nagaland by the Government of India (GOI). He pointed out the contradiction in Centre’s approach, given the ongoing peace process and its official recognition of the Naga political issue as a political matter rather than a law and order issue.
He also expressed concern over the continued imposition of the AFSPA despite ongoing political talks with Naga national workers for political talk.