Along with the rest of India, Nagaland also celebrated the nation’s 63rd Republic Day with state governor Nikhi Kumar unfurling the tri-colour here at Civil Secretariat Plaza Thursday. In his address, the governor said ceasefire with underground groups has been “holding good” despite many threats to it.
“There is an air of optimism and hope that the ongoing political negotiations will soon result in a peaceful resolution of the six-decade old Naga political problem,” said the governor.
Nikhil lauded NGOs, tribal hohos, churches, members of civil societies and the FNR, all of whom have worked hard to foster dialogue and understanding among various underground groups with considerable success.
State governor said law and order in the state remained by and large peaceful in the last few years. He commended the police forces, district administration and security forces for effectively dealing with many threats to law and order, for ensuring a peaceful atmosphere and for effectively controlling crime.
“Our state has had the distinction of having the least crime rate in the country during the last year as per the latest report released by the National Crime Records Bureau New Delhi,” he stated.
The governor called upon all the citizens to contribute their best efforts towards peace, progress and prosperity of our people and re-dedicate ourselves to the cause of national services.
Further, the governor said Nagas, as the 16th state of India union, has also been an equal partner in journey of socio-economic progress of the nation and stated that despite many challenges, the socio-economic progress of the state has been remarkable over the last five decades.
On the demand for separate state comprising of four districts of Mon, Tuensang, Longleng and Kiphire raised by “some people and organizations”, the governor said the government offered to set up an autonomous council with sufficient financial and administrative power for those districts.
“It is our firm belief that further division of the state is not in the interest of Naga People,” he stated, adding that government was committed to address the genuine grievances of the people of eastern Nagaland on the issue of socio-economic development and their representation in government services.
He also said that in the last few years, a lot of progress has been made in the socio-infrastructure development, as well as in the enforcement of reservations in government employment for the people of those four districts.
Civic polls by April
“Elections to the Municipalities and Town Councils are likely to be held in April, for which preparation are going on in full swing,” Nikhil said and appealed all to lend full support to the state government and various agencies engaged in it.
2012-13: “Year of Youth-cum Tribal Festivals”
Nagaland government has declared 2012-2013 as “Year of Youth-cum Tribal Festivals”. Announcing this, Nikhil Kumar said “Youth-cum Tribal Festivals” would be organized along with road-shows, jointly hosted by the respective Tribal Hohos and the District Planning and Development in PPP Mode, with active assistance and participation of relevant government departments.
HE said the string of district festivals would culminate in the “State Youth cum Tribal Festival” in Dimapur to be organized alongside the North East Agri Expo 2012.
New admin. hqs
Governor announced that state government has taken decision to open three new EAC Headquarters at Hosephu in Zunheboto be district, Yachen in Longleng district and Lephory in Phek district and to upgrade two EAC HQs at Tsurangkong in Mokokchung district and Chessore in Tuensang district to SDO (C) HQs.
Also, six SDO (C) HQs at Atoizu and Satakha in Zunheboto district, Pungro and Seyongchung in Kiphire district, Tamlu in Longleng district and Tenning in Peren district to be upgraded to ADC HQs.
A decision has also been taken to open six new police stations and six new police outposts and to upgrade seven police outpost to police stations.
Governor disclosed that with the activation of the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority in May, 2011, two companies of existing IR battalions have been trained as the State Disaster Response Force, three more Coys of IR will be trained in the next three months. He also revealed that an Earthquake Pre-Disaster Assessment Committee has also been set up recently.
Department wise: ON FOOD AND CIVIL SUPPLIES department, the governor said fair price shop status has been given to all the village councils in the state.
Nikhil said in order to ensure that food grains reached all parts of the state in a timely manner, two 50 MT godowns were constructed at Sanis and Jalukie.
ON AGRICULTURE SECTOR, the governor said food grain production in the state was steadily rising registering a growth rate of 12.5 % over the last year and the department of taking effective steps to provide quality seeds, fertilizers, farm equipment and the marketing facilities for holistic development.
ON VETERINARY AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY SECTOR, he said to enhance milk production, a ten thousand litre per capacity Dairy plant would be set up in Kohima soon.
He also said that another significant initiative was the Mithun breeding and conservation programme that was unique to the state.
Further, he informed that department was taking up installed a state consumer helpline in the Old Assembly Secretariat complex for the benefits of consumers.
ON THE FORESTRY SECTOR, Nikhil said government would soon set up a state Tragopan breeding centre to increase the population of this endangered species and also informed that 190 more villages would be covered under State Forest Development Agency during this year.
ON THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT FRONT, the governor said more than three lakh and sixty thousand job cards have been issued under MGNREGS to the rural people.
He disclosed that under the Indira Awas Yojana more than 8000 houses have been constructed this year and the target for the next year was to construct 10, 500 houses. The government has also decided to create 22 new rural development blocks, in addition to the existing 52 RD blocks in the state.
ON THE PHED DEPARTMENT, he said state has done remarkable achievement in the sanitation field with 23 village awarded for clean village under Nirmal Gram Puruskar and 30 villages were likely to be awarded with NGP this year.
The governor said road has been a priority for the government and informed that works on the four taken under SARDP were in full swing.
He revealed that those roads, once completed would set a benchmark for all roads in terms of quality and appealed to all responsible to extend their fullest cooperation to ensure timely completion.nHe also said 29 roads funded under the NLCPR were also in various stage of implementation, apart from works taken up under NEC.
1387 Hindi teachers to be recruited soon
A total of 1379 Hindi teachers under school education department will be recruited soon, Nikhil announced.
He said under SSA 115 new government primary schools will be opened and 324 primary schools will be upgraded to middle schools during the current year.
Governor also said as part of the major restructuring of the school education department, 804 administrative post for schools have been created, besides appointment of 2856 teachers through transparent process.
On higher education sector, the governor announced that a new initiative to incentivize merit in higher education, the government will soon introduce a scheme of awards to toppers of class twelve and degrees in the state and informed that the government also approved for setting up of a B. Ed college at Mokokchung.
On technical education department, he said that National Institute of Technology was fully operational in the temporary campus at Dimapur, a national Institute of Information Technology would be set up at Dimapur.
He also informed that the government was contemplating setting up two more polytechnics in the public private partnership mode.
Further the government also decided to set up 50 bedded women hostels in all the existing polytechnics.
He also said that M-Gov, to provide citizens services over the mobile phone, was also being launched in the state.
Further, he said that the Nagaland Mini Tool Room and Training Centre (NMTTC) Dimapur under Industries Department has achieved ISO 9001 Certificate during August 2011.
He also said that development of heath infrastructure as well as augment of qualified man-power continue to be an important priority for the government.
He also informed that apart for various housing schemes , 50 sub centres, 13 primary health centres, three community health centres, two district hospitals, five district warehouse, two new nursing schools at Mon and Phek were in various stages of implementation while the construction of new nursing school at Dimapur was almost complete.
Further he said the first state institute of health & family welfare under NRHM was also under way and stated that the first college of nursing in the state has started functioning during the current financial year.
He said that to augment the shortage of manpower, so far a total of 508 medical personnel have been recruited on the contract basis under the NHRM.
The governor also said DUDA department has also been provided adequate funds for undertaking various development projects in the less developed areas and stated that schemes worth more than Rs.100 crore under the Border Area Development Programme (BABP), Under Developed Areas Program (UDAP) and Social Infrastructural Fund (SIDF) were under various stages of implementation.
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