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Dimapur, Nov. 12 (EMN): Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, on Saturday, said disinvestment policy is the way forward as the government ‘cannot do business, own and manage everything’, and it should serve simply as a facilitator, while private parties, entrepreneurs and the business community conduct the economic operations.
Inaugurating the Working Women Hostel at Walford Colony in Dimapur, Rio said that former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government introduced the disinvestment policy in India for the first time. Describing it as one of the most ‘visible and beneficial policies’, he said the estimate income from disinvestment was INR 5000 crore, but it turned out to be INR 9000 crore.
Taking the example of an advanced nation, the chief minister said all government policies are only to facilitate, guide, train, and assist them (entrepreneurs); everything is privatised from the smallest to the largest.
‘So, it is time to change,’ he said, adding that the leaders’ mindset should focus on training and promoting young entrepreneurs, while the youth take on the challenges.
He said people are now completely reliant on the government, and that the state economy is a salary economy.
Rio also congratulated the department of Urban Development and Municipal Affairs on the successful completion of the building, an initiative undertaken by the Centre.
‘This housing facility is specifically for urban women living in poverty and slum dwellers, and it will accommodate single working women, widows, divorce women, and single mothers,’ he stated.
Maintaining that the state witnessing rapid urbanisation, Rio said the hostel with 51 units would come in handy, and lauded the Northern Angami Public Organisation (NAPO) for donating the land for the construction of the facility. He also acknowledged the pioneers of NAPO who had a far-sighted vision for the people.
Rio urged the people to ‘live positively and progressively’; not to be discouraged when others criticise but continue to do good things for others.
Speaking during the inaugural programme, NAPO president, Zeneituo Yano acknowledged the pioneers of the organisation for allotting the area for the people and expressed happiness that the land had been utilised in a fruitful and beneficial manner.
Yano stated that it was a source of pride for every one of them to have a magnificent building right in the centre of the city, and it was their duty to maintain the sanctity and protect it wholeheartedly. He also thanked the government department for the facility.
Providing the technical report, executive engineer of Municipal Affairs department, Theruovituo Pienyu, said that the project was sanctioned on March 30, 2016 via a lump-sum scheme under Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation for an amount INR 9.86 crore.
The total area of the building is 3456 square metre, consisting 51 rooms including a day-care centre for children, a unit for differently-able persons in the ground floor and a conference hall.