The 75th Republic Day Celebration was held at Nagaland Civil Secretariat, Kohima on 26th January 2024 with Governor of Nagaland, La. Ganesan as the special guest.
Speaking on the occasion, the Governor stated that the country has taken giant strides in various spheres of development, thereby securing a place among the strongest and most influential nations of the world. He said that Nagaland has been an active partner in contributing to the overall development of the nation. Stressing on the constraints posed by the Naga political issue he thanked all the stakeholders working tirelessly to find a peaceful, honourable and acceptable resolution to this issue. He said that the Government is committed towards an early solution and appealed to all the stakeholders to rise above their differences and make a final push for the most eagerly awaited solution.
The Governor mentioned that over the years the Government has taken many initiatives for the development of reliable road infrastructures in the state under the NE special Infrastructure Development Scheme, PMGSY, Central road fund, NE Road Sector Development Scheme and other state development schemes. In addition, under the scheme of Special assistance to states for capital Investment 2020-21, 944 kms stretches of road have been taken up for construction and upgradation for further development of road connectivity in the state. The DPR for the foothills road (Trans-Nagaland Highway) with a length of 364 Kms have been pushed forward to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways with an estimated cost of ₹9,000 crores, he added.
Under Externally Aided Projects, the Governor stated that the Department of Power has submitted two major projects to Asian Development Bank, 42MW Lower Tizu HEP and 24MW Zungki HEP. Another 24MW Tizu Valley HEP project has also been proposed.
Setting up of Modern Aggregation Centres at Longnak, Changtongya and Pfutsero along with Integrated Warehousing and Distribution Center at Meluri, a Unity Mall at 6th Mile Sovima, Chumukedima have been taken up by the Department of Industries and Commerce. The Governor said that these establishments will yield multifaceted outcomes that will significantly contribute to the socio-economic progress of the region and 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.
On the Urban Local Bodies Elections, the Governor stated that Nagaland Legislative Assembly has passed the Nagaland Municipal Act, 2023. The relevant Rules have also been framed and the State Government is committed to hold the elections soon.
Under Jal Jeevan Mission, the Department of PHE has achieved more than three lakh Functional Household Tap Connections while more than 64000 households would be covered during the current financial year.
Speaking on the development activities of Eastern Nagaland, the Governor said that the Department of Under Developed Areas (DUDA) has successfully executed a number of iconic projects under UDAP and BADP. Also, the Livelihood Projects with an outlay of ₹180 crore are in the process of being implemented under PM-DevINE Programme.
The Governor stated that the Department of Higher Education has been able to successfully get 36 colleges out of 71 colleges in the state accredited by the NAAC.
As per NEP 2020, Nagaland University has already implemented four year undergraduate programme from the academic session 2023 - 24 in all the colleges of the state. The first medical college in Nagaland i.e Nagaland Institute of Medical Science and Research (NIMSR) at Kohima inaugurated on 14 October 2023 is fully functional, with the first batch of MBBS students already having their regular classes.
Under the Digital Agriculture Mission, a Centralized Command Centre has been established at the Directorate of Agriculture. 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. Of 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 poster by the state of India's birds and a report by 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 SDG 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 football ground at Lakhuti village, Wokha sanctioned by the Sports Ministry under the Khelo India Scheme and the Commissioning of five pre fabricated multi-discipline sports stadium across various districts. The State is also set to host events at the National and International level including the North East Olympic Games, Asian Belt and Traditional Wrestling Championships and The Asian Music Summit later in the year.
With a commitment to create a drug free State the Government has undertaken extensive awareness drives, set up Anti Narcotics Task Force in all districts and initiated war on drugs campaign in the state.
The Governor hoped that with cooperation of both the Government and the robust population, the State can reach much greater heights.
(Ikedalule APRO, Yanbemo IA, Kongle IA, Tansumong IA)
