Rio gives in: reallocates portfolios

•Kiyanilie to hold Social Welfare; Noke gets PHE.

•Kire gets additional charge for Labour & Employment.

A day after allocating portfolios to cabinet ministers and parliamentary secretaries, sources confirmed that former Speaker, Kiyanilie Peseyie, who was given Public Health Engineering (PHE) portfolio, has now been reallocated Social Welfare which was initially given to Noke Konyak. As per reports, Noke will now hold PHE.

While negotiations are on to reallocate some other “lucrative portfolio” to Dr. Nicky Kire, it is reported that he has been given additional charge of Labour and Employment while Merentoshi Jamir will continue to hold Youth Resources and Sports.

Reportedly, Khriehu Liezietsu has been accommodated as chairman of Kohima District’s Planning and Development Board (DPDB), advisor to both Music Task Force and New and Renewable Energy.

With these arrangements in progress, the earlier threats issued by supporters of some elected MLAs from Kohima regarding a shutdown of Kohima, a bandh on the National Highway and cutting off water supply have been kept in abeyance.

Meanwhile, disgruntled supporters of various elected MLAs from Kohima continued to gherao Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio’s residence in Kohima on Wednesday over the issue of what they called “uneven” allocation of portfolios.

On Wednesday, at around 5 pm, supporters of Dr. Nicky Kire and Kiyanilie Peseyie gathered outside the gate of the CM’s residence demanding better portfolios for their candidates. Rio was inside the house while the crowd gathered outside. However, the crowd dispersed within an hour, said personnel present at CM’s gate. Security has been tightened at the entry points of CM’s residence to prevent any untoward incident.