Nagaland CM’s son appointed his adviser, given cabinet minister rank and pay

Chief minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu’s son, Khriehu Liezietsu, given the rank and status of a cabinet minister with the portfolio of music task force

Updated on: Jun 29, 2017, 21:13:06 IST

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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The Nagaland government has appointed chief minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu’s son, Khriehu Liezietsu, as his adviser with cabinet minister rank, status and pay.

Khriehu Liezietsu (L), son of chief minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu, will be entitled to pay and allowances and all other facilities admissible to a cabinet minister. (HT Photo)

In an official order issued on Wednesday, Khriehu was given “the rank and status of a cabinet minister with the portfolio of music task force with immediate effect”.

The CM’s son will be “entitled to pay and allowances and all other facilities admissible to a cabinet minister”, the order stated.

A cabinet minister in Nagaland earns a monthly salary of Rs 55,000. With allowances, the total rises to Rs 1,07,000 per month.

The appointment comes a month after Khriehu, who was a ruling Naga People’s Front (NPF) legislator from Northern Angami, resigned from his seat to make way for his father’s election as an MLA.

On Thursday, the election commission announced by-election to the seat on July 29. The model code of conduct came into effect from Thursday.

Prior to his resignation, Khriehu was a parliamentary secretary in the state government for youth resources, sports, lotteries and music task force.

The CM, who is NPF president, assumed office in February after his predecessor TR Zeliang resigned following violence over opposition to women’s reservation in municipal bodies.

The 81-year-old NPF president is not a representative of the 60-member assembly and is expected to contest from the seat Khriehu vacated to get elected within the six-month time limit. By-election to the Northern Angami seat will take place within August.

The CM, who is also an author, had won eight times from the Northern Angami assembly seat. But he decided against contesting in 2013 and paved the way for his son.

Soon after Shurhozelie assumed office, speculation started that he might not be interested in contesting another election and could tender his resignation before the expiry of the six-month period.

Nagaland, which has a ruling NPF-led coalition in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is a partner, will go to polls next year.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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