Advisor to the Department of Information & Public Relations (IPR) and Soil and Water Conservation, Imkong L Imchen, virtually inaugurated the newly constructed DPRO office buildings in Longleng and Zunheboto, along with the APRO Office at Pungro, on Saturday. The inauguration was conducted from the DPRO office in Mokokchung, where a formal function was held to mark the occasion.
Speaking during the event, Advisor Imchen said he was “very interested” in visiting Longleng and Zunheboto in person but could not make the trip due to directives related to the organization of Operation Sindoor in Mokokchung.
A long road for Zunheboto and Longleng IPR units
Giving a historical overview, DPRO Zunheboto, Sentsuthung, said the Zunheboto office has had a long journey. It began in 1966 as an IA office under SDIO Mokokchung, was upgraded to a Publicity Office in 1974, and later redesignated as a DPRO. “It continued in the same building since 1966 till now. We have 48 staff under Zunheboto, and we’re planning to shift to the new building by Monday or Tuesday,” he informed.
For Longleng, DPRO Ayong Phom recounted that the office was first established as an Information Centre in 1972, upgraded to an SDIO office in 1980, and finally became a full-fledged DPRO in 2013.
The construction of the new office building began in August 2022 and was completed in September 2024. “This would not have been possible without the active participation, supervision, and funding support from Advisor Imchen,” he said. The DPRO Longleng currently has 12 staff.
“The office cannot be caught napping” — IPR Director
Director of IPR, Dzüvinuo Theünuo, lauded the efforts of the district offices in bringing stories from remote corners of the state. She described Mokokchung DPRO as “one of the most active” offices in Nagaland and urged other districts to follow its lead. “The office cannot be caught napping — it must be ready whenever the district administration needs it,” she remarked.
She also praised Advisor Imchen for his commitment to the department, recalling that even during his previous short-lived tenure, he immediately focused on outreach. “He began by addressing the needs of newly recognized districts and launched mobile multimedia vehicles. Under his leadership, manpower deployment is also currently underway,” she added.
Acknowledging hurdles and pushing forward
Advisor Imchen acknowledged the bureaucratic challenges often faced by the department despite planning a lot. “So many formalities, so much paperwork, and in the end, the quality of projects gets compromised,” he observed.
However, he confirmed that the Zunheboto building is now an outright purchase, and for Longleng — which saw delayed construction since 2013 — he had personally intervened to ensure its early completion.
The inauguration program was chaired by Joint Director of IPR, Asangla Imsong. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Mokokchung, Chumlamo Humtsoe, delivered the welcome address, and a dedicatory prayer was pronounced by Yanglo, Pastor of MTBA.