Minister seeks people’s support to bring about change

[caption id="attachment_179444" align="alignleft" width="320"] Tongpang Ozukum addressing the 42nd general conference of the LTM on April 27 at Mongsenyimti village in Mokokchung district. (EM Images)[/caption] Mokokchung, April 27 (EMN): The minister for the Public Works department Tongpang Ozukum on Friday said that the Progressive Democratic Alliance (PDA) government’s slogan “change is coming” can be fulfilled only through people’s support to the government and not by legislators. The minister said this during his address to the 42nd general conference of the Langpangkong Tzukong Mungdang, the apex community organisation of Langpangkong range, in Mongsenyimti village of Mokokchung district. He was the ‘special guest’ of the event. “Excluding the NLA speaker and deputy speaker, the chief minister, ministers and the advisors alone cannot fulfil the PDA slogan ‘change is coming,’ it needs people’s support and cooperation,” Ozukum asserted. In this regard, he called upon the delegation to do away with branding villages on political grounds and instead ‘join the mainstream to bring about change’ that Nagaland today requires. Ozukum also encouraged the village development boards from the range to be vigorous, committed and with honesty and transparency when undertaking developmental projects for villages. He asserted that the current PDA coalition will allocate funds to projects that are realistic, practical, and ‘genuine in nature.’ The minister also asked the delegates attending the Langpakong Tzukong Mungdang (LTM) to cultivate a ‘politics culture.’ Without politics a nation cannot move forward and become an archaic society which does not think of moving forward, the gathering was told. The minister also urged the Ao people not to be complacent in their past glories but to march toward progressiveness. In this connection, he opined that Mokokchung’s tag of being the ‘Land of Pioneers’ would be much suited if it was rather changed to ‘land of educational hub’ by dedicating resources and wisdom to building such a reputation. Ozukum also lauded the founding fathers of LTM, whose wisdom and patriotism created unity among the people of the range and could realise their objectives. However, the minister lamented that the same spirit of patriotism and unity in the range had been lost among the present generation. He called upon the people of Langpangkong to revive the spirit of belonging with renewed vision for the betterment of the range. A new team of Langpangkong Tzukong Mungdang will be led by M Zulu Ozukum (Mongsenyimti) as president and Lanu Pongen (Asangma) as general secretary. 400 delegates from 36 units attended the two-day general conference, which culminated on April 27. Some resolutions adopted during the general conference: 1. The LTM has appreciated the Clean Election campaign initiated by the LKM and resolved to endorse it actively in activities. 2. The LTM has endorsed the new team of office bearers to pursue the government’s proposal to elevate Tuli’s ADC to DC. LTM also iterated a resolution to establish a sub-division horticulture office at Tuli. 3. The LTM also endorsed respective village councils in the range in resolving land issues with landowners when undertaking the Langpangkong inter-village road. 4. The LTM has resolved to set up a special committee to expedite the Asetkong-Tzusangra road work. 5. The LTM has resolved to revive the Nagaland Pulp & Paper Co. Ltd., at Tuli by forming a committee after consulting with the legislators of the range.