Kohima, 27 January (MTNews): Governor La Ganesan’s Republic Day address at the Nagaland Civil Secretariat provided a comprehensive overview of the state’s progress and aspirations, highlighting both achievements and persistent challenges. Praising the country’s strides in development, he stated that Nagaland has been an active partner in contributing to the overall development of the nation. However, he viewed the “Naga political issue” as a constraint yet thanked all the stakeholders working tirelessly to find a peaceful, honorable, and acceptable resolution to this issue. “The government is committed towards an early solution,” he said, appealing to all stakeholders to rise above their differences and make a final push for the most eagerly awaited solution.
Regarding infrastructure development in the state, the governor attributed it to the NE special Infrastructure Development Scheme, PMGSY, Central road fund, NE Road Sector Development Scheme, and other state development schemes. According to him, under the scheme of Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2020-21, 944 kilometers stretches of road have been taken up for construction and upgrading for further development of road connectivity in the state. “The DPR for the foothills road (Trans-Nagaland Highway) with a length of 364 kilometers has been pushed forward to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways with an estimated cost of Rs 9,000 crores,” he added.
The governor also mentioned how under Externally Aided Projects, the Department of Power has submitted two major projects to the Asian Development Bank – 42MW Lower Tizu HEP and 24MW Zungki HEP. “Another 24MW Tizu Valley HEP project has also been proposed,” he informed.
Hailing economic diversification through the setting up of Modern Aggregation Centers at Longnak, Changtongya, and Pfutsero along with the Integrated Warehousing and Distribution Center at Meluri, a Unity Mall at 6th Mile Sovima, Chumukedima by the Department of Industries and Commerce, the Governor was hopeful that it will yield multifaceted outcomes that will significantly contribute to the socio-economic progress of the region. He also believed it will provide a platform for the promotion and retail of the State’s “ODOPs”, GI products, and other handicraft items. He further highlighted that the proposal for developing ‘Nagaki City,’ a fully planned modern city at Chate Valley, Chumoukedima is at the advanced stage of development.
He also hailed the passage of the Nagaland Municipal Act and informed that the State Government is committed to holding the elections soon. He also claimed that under the Jal Jeevan Mission, the Department of PHE has achieved more than three lakh Functional Household Tap Connections while more than 64,000 households would be covered during the current financial year.
Regarding development in Eastern Nagaland, the Governor said that the Department of Underdeveloped Areas (DUDA) has successfully executed a number of iconic projects under UDAP and BADP. Also, the Livelihood Projects with an outlay of Rs 180 crore are in the process of being implemented under PM-DevINE Programme. He further claimed that under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the Department of Rural Development has generated 117.32 lakh person-days and provided employment to 4.07 lakh households during the current year 2023-24.
The Governor mentioned that the Department of Economic Affairs, Govt. India lauded the successful implementation of JICA-assisted Nagaland Forest Management Project in the state. A decade of Amur Falcon conservation in Nagaland was also commemorated with the release of Nagaland state posters by the state of India’s birds and a report by the Wildlife Institute of India titled ‘Understanding the Amur Falcon.’ Additionally, the State and District level indicator frameworks have been developed for monitoring the progress of SDGs across the state. SDG District Roadmaps for all districts of Nagaland are being developed to achieve the Nagaland SDG Vision 2023.
Highlighting that Nagaland is now one of the most thriving and sought-after tourist destinations, he said that the State has been identified as one of the 16 most exciting tourist destinations in the World for 2024 by the Sydney Morning Herald.
In the sporting arena, the State has undertaken major infrastructural projects including the development of a football ground at Lakhuti village, Wokha sanctioned by the Sports Ministry under the Khelo India Scheme and the Commissioning of five prefabricated multi-discipline sports stadiums across various districts.
The Governor concluded on a hopeful note, expressing confidence in the state’s ability to achieve greater heights through collaboration between the government and its resilient population in the journey towards a drug-free and prosperous Nagaland.