The Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) presented a PowerPoint overview of its activities at the Kohima District Planning & Development Board (DPDB) meeting held on February 15 at the DPDB Hall, Kohima. The meeting was attended by DPDB Chairman Dr Tseilhoutuo Rhutso, MLA, and Kevipodi Sophie, MLA, and was chaired by Deputy Commissioner Kohima, Kumar Ramnikant, IAS.
KMC CEO T Lanusenla Longkumer spoke about the inception, organizational structure, and revenue sources of KMC. She highlighted that sanitation was decentralized in 2013, and currently, KMC manages commercial waste with nine vehicles, while the wards operate 39 vehicles for waste collection. She added that 65 sweepers are engaged in cleaning the town once a week. Lanusenla also discussed the PM SVANidhi scheme and the KMC website.
Addressing the challenges faced by KMC, she mentioned:
• Salary shortfalls, making KMC dependent on government grants.
• Lack of proper office space for KMC operations.
• Aging sanitation vehicles and difficulties in removing collection points due to traffic congestion and vehicle sizes.
• A non-functional septage management plant.
• Lack of designated vendor spaces and non-functional Kohima Super Market.
• Lack of coordination in development activities.
She also outlined initiatives undertaken by KMC to address these challenges.
During the discussion, Dr Rhutso suggested that shop owners should take responsibility for maintaining cleanliness in their designated areas. MLA Kevipodi Sophie emphasized the need for designated spaces for farmers to sell their produce, particularly during the morning hours.
Earlier, the Deputy Commissioner reviewed the minutes of the previous DPDB meeting. In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) initiative, a district felicitation ceremony was held, honouring Ketsino Jane Frances and Ketsole Mekro, female toppers of the NBSE 2024 HSLC and HSSLC exams, and Hili Kath Metsie-o, a Woman Police Personnel, for her contributions in solving women-related cases.
Additionally, two organizations, Leal Group Society Kohima and Science and Technology Advancement and Research Society, presented proposals seeking registration approval. After deliberation, the Board decided to approve their proposals for further action. The Board also welcomed three new members: ARC Cooperation, BDO Kohima, and BDO Botsa.
The Industries & Commerce Department was assigned to present a PowerPoint presentation at the next DPDB meeting.
Following the meeting, a dedicated vehicle for the One Stop Centre was launched to support and rescue women affected by violence in private and public spaces, including within the family, community, and workplace. The launch was attended by Dr. Tseilhoutuo Rhutso, MLA, Kevipodi Sophie, MLA, DC Kohima Kumar Ramnikant, IAS, and other DPDB members.