Nagaland: Niuland officially declared full-fledged town

Zhimomi urges the people to look for avenues other than government jobs

Our Reporter

Dimapur, Nov. 27 (EMN): The government of Nagaland on Friday officially recognised and announced Niuland sub-division under Dimapur district as a full-fledged town council.

Terming the occasion as a landmark achievement for the people of Nagaland, the minister of Public Health Engineering department (PHED), Jacob Zhimomi, who was the special guest, said that everyone should participate and divide the responsibilities between the people and government for development to take place.

“Development in all fields will take place- like roads, schools, hospitals, which will make the town self-sufficient; this is just the first step,” Zhimomi said, adding that everyone must co-operate for the future of the new town.

He also encouraged the people to get into agri allied sectors through the schemes that the town will receive. “There is no employment in the state and there is over crowding of government jobs so one must find other available avenues,” he added.

Mentioning that Nagaland is surviving through grant-in-aid, the minister said that everyone should concentrate and focus on the farming sector.

“Our capital is our land. We hire people to farm and say we are unemployed. Why can’t we do it ourselves?” he asked, while urging everyone to try to sustain themselves in their own land.

Zhimomi further shared that development doesn’t mean that a town should have concrete buildings everywhere but the most basic development is cultured human behaviour.

“Who will come to us or do business with us if our behaviour is not cultured?” he asked.

He also thanked the land owners of Niuland for rendering their land for the town council.

Advisor to Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, Dr. Neikiesalie Kire stressed on solid waste management and urged the people of the town to strive towards self-sustenance and manage their waste.

“Good things take time and always remember the three ‘Rs’ of recycle, reduce and reuse,” he said, adding, “Niuland should aim high and lead by example; it is not the end just because we have become a town; we have to keep moving forward.”

President of Niuland Area Kukami Hoho, VikheyiZhimo described the occasion as a remarkable day, saying that “it has been 33 years since it became a sub-division and now a full-fledged town”. He also appealed to the government to fix the roads from Niuland to Dimapur.

A monolith was unveiled and a sanitation truck flagged off to mark the day.