Nagaland
Rio pledges to liberation from development, welfare chains
Kohima, Aug. 15(EMN): The chief minister of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio, has said that the People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) government has taken steps to end the ‘VIP culture’ to focus more on more important issues such as governance and development of the state and its people. This is the government’s goal as representatives elected by the people based on the promise of ‘bringing change and development,’ he said. He was addressing the 72nd Independence Day celebrations in Kohima.
The chief minister spoke of promoting citizen engagement and making the government more accessible to the people. He said that steps are being taken to ensure that the govt. functions with transparency and accountability. Good governance, he said, is being addressed through efficient use of technology.
Agriculture and allied sectors
The chief minister said that organic fruits and vegetables, silk and honey from Nagaland are becoming increasingly popular; it has a huge potential to augment farmers’ income. Rio said that the govt. had constituted on June 15 an ‘organic committee’ to review, coordinate, and to formulate proposals to form an ‘organic mission’ in the state.
Sustainable agriculture and Food Security by 2025 is the prime objective of the state, Rio said. Its focus is on increasing crop production and productivity by promoting farm mechanization; enabling backward and forward linkages, and ensuring market for agriculture products, he said. An example of that movement is the state using technology to harness potential. The agriculture department, for example, has developed two android mobile apps namely the Nagaland Local Plants (package and practices) and Naga Farm Doctor (pest and diseases).
Youth empowerment
To create economic opportunities for the youth, Rio assured that the government will be extending assistance to entrepreneurs, start-ups, rural and progressive farmers and the business community. This is to generate employment and ensure that the youth become ‘generators’ of the local economy, he said.
Further, he spoke of measures being undertaken to introduce a ‘Nagaland start-up fund’ to promote innovation in entrepreneurship; and the Investment and Development Authority of Nagaland (IDAN) which had been set up to bring investments to the state. Rio said that schemes such as the Special Development Fund and the Chief Minister’s Corpus Fund shall identify and assist genuine and hardworking youths.
Rio also informed to be working on improving the state’s ranking on the Ease of Doing Business by simplifying procedures and offering faster clearances. Likewise, the Nagaland start-up policy will be set soon with incentives for start-ups and incubators to accelerate and promote local entrepreneurs.
Emphasising on the importance of skill development, Rio said under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 33,021 youth will be trained in various sectors across multiple job roles.
Tourism
Also, Rio said that the govt. has plans to have a formal state inauguration day function on the morning of December 1, Statehood Day, while the Hornbill Festival will be inaugurated in the afternoon. “We need in-flow of tourists all around the year and the tourism industry must generate revenue throughout the year and not just during the 10 days of Hornbill in Kohima.” He was optimistic that the tourism roadmap of the state would take a positive turn and contribute to the overall economic growth of Nagaland in the future.
Power
The chief minister has said that construction of a 220 KV transmission line from Dimapur to Zhadima for Kohima, Wokha, Phek and Kiphire districts has started. To make the state reliant on renewable energy, Rio said that steps have been taken to complete and commission early long-pending projects. The state has also decided that power projects up to 25 MW can be taken up under the sector. Similarly, he said, rooftop solar power projects and solar wing hybrid projects are being implemented.
Education
Rio has iterated the government’s endeavour to ensure quality education and accessible health care for the people. For the first time, he said, the School Education department has achieved 100% e-transfer of MDM funds to the school level, helping in eliminating the possibilities of fund leakage at any level. Rio mentioned the Wakching New Model College in Mon as having been established and nearing completion with a campus of 18 acres. He promised that the college shall soon have separate administrative and academic blocks, two 5-bed hostels for boys and girls, a library and laboratories. He informed that similar augmentation of buildings and infrastructure was being taken up in all 15 government colleges across the state. A proposal has been made to start govt. polytechnics at Aboi (Mon), Peren and Kiphire, he added.
Health
To ensure access to healthcare for all, Rio said that an agreement was signed with the National Health Authority to implement a health insurance scheme, which would provide insurance coverage benefit of INR 5 lakh per family per annum from the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Swasthya Suraksha Mission.
It was informed that 56 sub-centres would be upgraded to health and wellness centres during 2018-19 from Ayushman Bharat.
The Health department is also taking steps to ensure food safety under the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006, Rio said. Besides confiscating fish treated with formalin, further action is being taken to ensure that only ‘healthy’ fruits, vegetables, meat and food items are sold in the market, he said.
The govt., he added, is committed to implementing schemes and programmes for the welfare of children, women, adolescent girls, senior citizens and differently-able persons.
Women development
To develop skills sets of rural women and ensure avenues for women entrepreneurs to set up businesses, Rio said that work is underway to set up five resource centres in Phek, Mokokchung, Wokha, Peren, and Zunheboto districts. The first centre was inaugurated at Rünguzu Basa in Chozuba on June 15 2018 and another was inaugurated on May 23 at Dimapur to impart training in tailoring and knitting to girls, it was informed.
Safe drinking water
Projects to augment water supply to Kohima town, Wokha town and 24 villages at Chiephobozou are completed and shall be commissioned shortly, Rio announced.
Air and rail connectivity
Informing that land compensation issues for the Dimapur-Zubza line have been resolved, Rio was hopeful that the railway line would soon become a reality. He informed that the state is seeking a Dimapur-Tizit Railway line, and was assured by the Railway ministry that a survey for the project would be completed soon.
Expressing hope for early approval for the Ciethu Greenfield Airport at Kohima, Rio said that the govt. was also seeking upgrade to the Dimapur Airport on priority. A plan to construct a new airport terminal at Dimapur has been in the master plan for years now, according to Rio, but it has yet to be approved.
The govt. is also seeking improvement of air services for the state from the UDAN-RCS of the Centre particularly for introduction of more flights to New Delhi and for regional air inter-connectivity, Rio informed.