SIRD conducts training on Village Council Act

Our Correspondent
Mokokchung, March 30 (EMN): State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD) conducted training on “Nagaland Village and Tribal Council Act 1978 and Village Development Board Model Rules 1980” for the village council chairmen (VCC) and village development board (VDB) secretaries for nine RD blocks under Mokokchung district at Town Hall on March 30.

The participating RD blocks were Ongpangkong South, Ongpangkong North, Kubolong, Longchem, Changtongya, Mangkolemba, Chuchuyimlang, Tuli and Tzurangkong.

Dr. Kedise Pucho, principal of ETC Phek SIRD, while introducing the programme, stated that the central government has been pressuring the state government to adopt the panchayati raj system of local self-government of villages in rural areas but the latter have not responded to it.

Pucho, who was the main resource person of the training, added that the ministry concept was to make the whole rural India into a single system. He, however, stated that Nagaland, Mizoram and other Northeast states have a unique system of local self-government borne out of their way of life.

“We don’t know if it may favour us or not, if an alien system is implemented,” he asserted. He informed that the panchayati raj system is a three-tier system based on electioneering process and contested under a party banner, while adding “disadvantage is that it falls under party system.”

The unique thing about Nagaland Village and Area Council Act, according to him, was that there is no party affiliation and “leaders and members are nominated based on honesty and sincerity.”

Toshimongla Kichu, DRDA project director of Mokokchung, asserted that village council members and VDB members are the backbone for the uplift of socio-economic development in a district.

In this regard, she urged the village council members and VDB secretaries to diligently attend the training session and become more aware of their duties, responsibilities as well as the various schemes and projects provided by the government for the benefit of the people.

During the training session, Dr. Kedise Pucho covered topics such as Nagaland Village Tribal Council Act 1978, VCC and VCM qualification, powers, duties and disqualification, control of Village Council and Tribal Council Act, VDB Model Rules 1980, VDB audit and eligibility of the auditors and role of DC.

Other resource persons and BDO namely Aphreno Tetso, Kazupokba and Imoakum also spoke on ‘VDB composition and management committee, operating bank account, and composition and intending beneficiaries’ respectively.