'Nagaland department's buildings almost outlived their span'

Our Reporter
Dimapur, Feb. 26 (EMN): Buildings of the Rural Development department in Nagaland are in dilapidated conditions and personnel have not been allotted accommodation due to shortage of quarters, the department’s report states.

The Rural Development (RD) department’s annual administrative report for 2019-20 states that in the component of state-sponsored schemes’ building construction / renovation of buildings, almost all the department's residential buildings in the state headquarters have almost outlived their span and are in a dilapidated condition. They require immediate renovation, the report stated.  

"It is also to be mentioned that majority of the officers and staffs in the directorate have not been allotted accommodation due to shortage of department quarters. However, due to financial constraints in the state, no budget has been earmarked despite the urgency," it maintained.

For the construction of the Nagaland Rural Development Service Association transit building at the directorate, funds of an amount of INR 75 lakh was proposed during 2018-19, the report stated. INR 66, 37, 168 was released but is still kept in civil deposit. During 2019-20, funds of an amount of INR 100 lakh was proposed to be spent for said purpose.

DRDA administration

During the year 2020-21, an amount of INR 3764.00 lakh was proposed for meeting the salaries and contingencies of the district rural development agencies (DRDA). During 2019-20, funds of an amount of INR 2420.00 lakh were proposed for meeting salaries and other contingencies of the DRDA.

However, the report stated, till date INR 247.39 lakh only had been received as the first instalment of the central share and INR 27.49 lakh only was received as the state’s matching share. This short release of fund for the past few years have resulted in accumulation of recoverable loans from other programmes, the report maintained.

The DRDA schemes which were funded on a 75:25 ratio basis between the central and the state aims at strengthening and making professional the DRDA. The funding ratio in respect of the Northeast has now been revised to 90:10 with effect from the financial year 2008-09.

Under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) in Nagaland, so far the members of the Parliament have adopted eight model villages. The SAGY is a rural development programme that broadly focuses on development in the villages including social development, and cultural development.

The report stated that the Lok Sabha member adopted Seluophe in Dimapur district during 2015-16; Longwa in Mon district during 2016-17; Kubza in Mokokchung district during 2017-18; Longidang in Wokha district during 2018-19; and Angphang in Mon district during 2019-20.