Nagaland celebrates 60th Statehood Day; CM Neiphiu Rio calls for unity

Kohima, December 1 (MTNews): Chief Minister of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio graced the 60th Statehood Day celebration at the Secretariat Plaza Kohima on 1st December 2022.

Conveying his greetings on the occasion, he said the journey of six decades calls for celebration while remembering with utmost reverence all the leaders and visionaries, whose sacrifices and tireless efforts, gave the people their State. He maintained that the people must not let their differences overwhelm their common identity, and be united in their pursuit of greater goals and achievements.

On the Naga political issue, Rio said encouraging progress has been made in the last few years. He appealed to all the Naga Political Groups and the Government of India, and all others concerned to walk the extra mile, reach out to everyone in the spirit of understanding in the truest sense, and make the long-cherished dream of the people a reality by bringing the solution without any further delay.

On the Hornbill Festival, the Chief Minister said showcasing the beautiful cultural heritage is a collaborative celebration of all Naga tribes at one venue. With each passing year, it is becoming more vibrant, and larger, showcasing newer ideas and gaining greater recognition. “This is an asset owned by all the tribes of Nagaland, and a success story and we should continue to make it bigger, better, and more valuable,” he added.

The Chief Minister said the development of human resources has been a focus area of the Government. In the last six decades, he said the State has seen giant strides being taken for the creation of educational and technical institutions for the development of human resources. And the Government remains mindful of the utmost need to continue providing the best and latest educational facilities to the youth, he added.

Maintaining that health is the greatest asset of an individual, Rio said a big step forward was taken towards ensuring affordable healthcare for all with the launching of the Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme (CMHIS) on 14th October 2022. The Scheme takes advantage of the insurance platform developed under the ongoing Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), which caters to a limited population, to provide coverage of free and cashless treatment to the remaining population including Government servants and pensioners. He added that an enrolment drive for issuing the CMHIS Card that is required for availing of free cashless treatment is going on throughout the State. He called upon every citizen of the State to avail of this and get registered for CMHIS at the earliest possible to avail the full benefits of this scheme.

Rio also said roads, the most important enabler of development anywhere, have always remained at the top of the priority list. He further said another 2,500 kilometers were added in the last five years. He stated that work on one of the most ambitious road projects of the State, the ‘Foothill Road’, was started, considering the enormous benefits that it is likely to bring to the people.

Stating that electricity and its supply to each part of the State is another very crucial element for the overall economic development, Rio added that in recent years by the construction of more sub-stations, transmission, and distribution lines, the reliability, stability, and distribution to all consumers both in urban and rural areas are being continuously upgraded and improved. The development of two hydro generation projects will ease the financial burden of the State for power purchase and will also greatly contribute towards energy security for the State. The installation of a large number of smart prepaid electricity meters in Dimapur and Kohima is another significant step being taken for the reduction of AT&C losses and improving revenue collection in the power sector, the chief minister said.

He called upon everyone concerned, more so the farmers, to strive for making Nagaland one of the premier States regarding organic farm and horticulture produce.

Rio said that with the situation becoming better, the Central Government would consider bringing out more areas from AFSPA soon and that the State continues to be among those States whose crime rates are the lowest in the country.

Chief Minister Rio said sportspersons in the state only require the right mentoring, facilities, and the requisite infrastructure which is being provided and will continue to do so with even more commitment. “With all our efforts, we should soon see many of our sportspersons representing the country and winning medals in global sporting events also,” he said.

He also said a significant step towards streamlining the process of recruitment to Government services and moving towards a completely merit based and transparent system was taken when NSSB was made functional and it successfully conducted its first-ever competitive examinations across the State for recruitment of 630 Group C posts under various departments in which more than 50,000 candidates appeared.

Chief Minister Rio expressed the need for talented youth and entrepreneurs to not only explore opportunities within the State but also look beyond the borders of the State.