Zeliang says civic body polls will be announced soon
In a major relief to the Naga Mothers Association (NMA), who had been pressing hard for the state government to implement 33% women reservation in the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) polls, Nagaland chief minister T.R. Zeliang on Thursday announced the decision of the Cabinet to go ahead with the elections to the Urban Local Bodies/Town Councils under Nagaland Municipal Act, 2001 by granting 33 per cent women reservation.
Addressing the state level watershed conference organized by Land Resources department at NBCC convention hall, Zeliang informed the gathering that the decision to this effect was taken during a Cabinet meeting held on August 10. Zeliang said that the government would soon notify on the dates to conduct the election.
Pointing out that while the apex tribal organisations in the state were against women reservation, the state cabinet after thorough deliberation, decided that elections would be conducted to the ULBs with 33 per cent women reservation. He said “we should allow the women-folks to participate in the municipal councils and see the outcome of their participation and if things go well, the reservation may be increased.”
Zeliang said NMA’s Joint Action Committee on Women Reservation was fighting in the Supreme Court for 33 per cent women reservation, which has also led to withholding of the elections to the ULBs.
Meanwhile, a CMO media cell press communiqué also stated that the Cabinet decided to strengthen the Municipal Cadre in the state. The cabinet in this regard has asked the department to work out their minimum manpower requirements and send fresh proposal after following the laid down procedures. It was also decided that there was no need for a separate Municipal Commissionerate in the state and directed that the matter be taken up for review before the Guwahati High Court through the Advocate General.
CMO media cell said that the Cabinet also took a serious view of the assurance made by the Department of Municipal Affairs through its Counsel before the Guwahati High Court in PIL 71/2015 without the approval of the Government. the government has directed that an inquiry be held to identify the officer(s) responsible for the lapse for further appropriate action, it stated.
The Cabinet further approved the proposal of the Department of Municipal Affairs for setting up of nine Town Councils for Bhandari, Chozuba, East Dimapur, Longkhim, Mangkolemba, Pungro, Tening, Tizit and Tobu towns and setting up of five Urban Station Committees for Athibung, Chessore, Chuchuyimlang, Tsudikong and Yisemyong towns in Nagaland. It also approved the creation of six new Sub-District Industries Centres at Atoizu, Mangkolemba, Meluri, Noklak, Tizit and Tuli by redeploying the existing staff under the department of Industries and Commerce.
It may be mentioned that the Supreme Court, in a landmark judgment, on April 5 ‘revived’ the 2011 ruling of the single bench Guahati High Court of Kohima which had ruled in favour of Joint Action Committee on Women Reservation and directed state government to hold elections to local bodies with implementation of 33% reservation.
Nagaland needs to be self-sufficient: Zeliang
Correspondent
KOHIMA, AUG 11 (NPN): Expressing serious concern over out-flow of money from the state, Nagaland chief minister T.R Zeliang stressed on the need for Nagaland to become self-sufficient by the next decade. “In less than 15 years from now on state must become self-sufficient by producing all kinds of crops from within the state and should stop the outflow of money to outside state,” he said this while addressing the state level watershed conference in culmination with Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) Batch-1 at NBCC convention hall organized by the department of Land Resources on Thursday.
Once this is done, Zeliang said he was optimistic that the state economy would boost. He pointed further out that nearly Rs 200 crore on meat alone was going outside state. This must also be stopped, he said, encouraging people to take up piggery to achieve meat production by 2025.
Congratulating the Land Resources department for being awarded the best IWMP implemented state in the country in 2015, Zeliang lauded the department for taking up things with a focused approach and implementing the various programmes successfully by bringing about many positive changes for the people.
Zeliang said watershed development programme has a critical role to play in ensuring conservation and utilization of natural endowments for increasing agricultural productivity and enhancing peoples’ livelihood. For this, he urged the farmers and IWMP officials to exchange ideas and views and work together keeping in mind the fast growing technology.
Stressing on the importance of the “Year of Construction Workers” 2016, Zeliang lamented that there were hardly any Naga construction workers or carpenters. He said Dimapur district alone spends Rs. 2000 to 3000 crores in construction, and the money goes to people from outside the state. Zeliang said “vision alone will not work, thereby the youths need to be trained through the skill development training department in the state and likewise youth must be prepared to take up any profession”.
He also informed that by this month (August) the ‘Vision 2030’ document would be released and the main focus would be self-sufficiency. Like the “white revolution” in Haryana, Zeliang said “if all the citizens in every district take firm decision and work together by making “people’s movement” then Nagaland will also prosper like any other states”.
He further cautioned that random creation of new villages for want of schemes and projects will not help to improve state’s economy.
For cultivation, Zeliang urged the department to identify areas as to what crops would be best suitable and accordingly help the farmers in order to bring in changes and improvement.
In order to achieve all this peace was a requisite, he said. Though government of India is serious about ushering in a lasting solution, Zeliang however said “it was time to question ourselves where we are standing and without solution what would be the future of our coming generation”.
He said that the present stand of the state government is solution that should be inclusive of all stake holders.
He also informed that state government would continue to appeal NSCN (K) to reinstate the ceasefire agreement in the interest of a permanent solution.
Speaking at the programme, parliamentary secretary for Land Resources BS Nganglang Phom said that watershed management was not only a hydrogical unit but also socio-political entity which plays a crucial role in determining food and economic security that provides life support services to the people.
He said “we should give more importance to rain water harvesting and added that understanding the hydrologic cycle is a key to the proper management of water which helps to understand the role and cycle on human impact”.
Chief Secretary Nagaland, Pankaj Kumar in his short speech said that the integrated watershed management program (IWMP) has become an integral component of the new Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) from 2016-17.
Since state has been experiencing climate change, he said it was important for all to understand and learn how to conserve water. He stressed on the need of sharing ideas from various departments like forest, agriculture, horticulture, PHED, soil and water conservation, irrigation and flood control. Through GIS accurate mapping, areas should be identified to develop watershed project, he added.
Kumar said through the three Cs “Conservation by Convergence by Community” land resource department will be able to work better in watershed development.
Secretary, LRD, Y. Kikheto Sema in his keynote address mentioned that the watershed development programme (WDP) was envisaged as a measure to improve livelihoods and has gained greater importance in the light of worldwide recognition of its effectiveness in combating climate change which affected agriculture environment and forestry.
He said that the main objective of WSDP was to improve water conservation, irrigation facility in order to help raise the income of the farmers by providing better livelihood and improve bio-physical and socio-economic environments and help the farmers by bringing sustainable developments.
A power-point presentation on the overall view of the watershed activities was presented by director, Land Resources, MhathungYanthan.
The department also handed over the watershed development fund to the 247 villages at the cost of Rs. 3.66 crores.
Best farmer award was also given to the four best farmers: Neituo Kense from Tuophema village under Kohima district, B. Angshai Phom from Yongam village under Longleng district, Hatwank Konyak from Phuktong village Mon district and Irisibe from Old Jalukie village under Peren district.
Earlier, the chief minister also released a book titled ‘Best practices and success stories of IWMP’.
On the occasion, the Best Self Help group (SHG) award was given to Kekhrie SHG from Sechuma village under Kohima district and Zangna SHG of Mhainamtsi from Peren district.
Host of ministers, parliamentary secretaries, advisors, MLAs, senior government officials and others attended the conference.
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