Share
DIMAPUR, : Minister of Public Health Engineering (PHED) and Cooperation, Jacob Zhimomi on Saturday said funds from the Central government go towards paying the salaries of about 1.20 lakh regular state government employees and about 50, 000 under contract.
He was speaking during a thanksgiving programme at his residence in Dimapur, which was organised after winning the recent state assembly election.
Zhimomi said that ‘there is no workload but everyone is staying at home and getting salary, and they are complaining about unemployment’.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]He said that the state spends about INR 3000 crore in a year, with more than INR 1000 crore going to police personnel, INR 1000 crore to School Education department, INR 500 crore towards pensions, and only about INR 200-300 crore for development projects.
The minister pointed out that the public falsely accuse the state government, especially the chief minister to the extent of using terms like “chor” without having knowledge of state’s financial health, adding that the government is left with no money for development activities.
He further stated that there is not a single district in Nagaland that can be called ‘complete’ (self-sufficient) even though the state got statehood in 1963.
‘The state chief ministers from statehood period till date are not to be blamed for the lack of development because there has been no industry or commerce in the state and there is no space for employment except in the government sector,’ he said.
Now that the state government has set up Nagaland Staff Selection Board (NSSB), he asked the people ‘not to come to the houses of ministers for any kind of government job’, because what was possible in the past is not possible now.
He said the state is not able to see economic and social development due to non settlement of Naga political issue.
While asserting that the present government’s priority is to resolve the Naga political issue, he appealed to everyone including Naga political groups to be united, work for the future generation of the Nagas and resolve the issue in the next 2-3 years with public support.
‘Everyone is only thinking about their own tribe and people and not for the state, and such attitude is disintegrating the Naga people,’ he lamented.
He encouraged the people to be united, saying that development is not only about buildings and other infrastructure; a cultured society is also development.
6 MLAs from Ghaspani?
With the bifurcation of Dimapur district into Dimapur, Chümoukedima and Niuland, Zhimomi said there will be four MLAs in Chümoukedima and two in Niuland if there is people’s support.
Maintaining that there are many capable leaders who have the commitment and conviction to serve the people, he said it will be a ‘dream come true’ if there Ghaspani gets six seats in the 2028 election.
Sharing how creation of a new district can benefit the people, he said it will bring employment opportunities, infrastructure, schools, medical facilities, academic and technical institutions, railways and airways, etc.
“It is in black and white paper at the moment but after 2023 mandate, it will be put to action and if it is God's will I will try to implement it with the support of the people,” he added.