Addressing the people on the occasion of the 72nd Republic Day celebrations at the Secretariat Plaza, Kohima, the Governor of Nagaland, R.N. Ravi expressed gratitude to the founding fathers whose sacrifices, sweat and blood created the Republic of India and also paid tribute to the founding fathers of Nagaland for constitutionally safeguarding the Nagas way of life, their land and resources.
For the last one year, the whole world has been suffering from the global pandemic -COV11)-19. India also has suffered. However, India has defied experts' initial predictions of unimaginably high scale of deaths and destruction likely to be caused by the pandemic. We are grateful to our COVID warriors - doctors, nurses and other frontline workers who have been risking their lives to save the countrymen, the Governor said further stating that the global community acknowledges India as the most successful story in handling the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the last one year, the Governor said that India has taken enormous leaps in capacity building so much so that from scratch, the country today is an exporter of life saving kits and drugs like PPE, ventilators and medicines to other needy countries. The country under the leadership of Prime Minister, Modi launched the world's largest inoculation drive on January 16, 2021. In less than a week of launching, our country has shipped tens and thousands of free COVID-19 vaccines to the neighbouring countries. India makes 60% of the world's vaccines and we are playing a vital role in this global fight against COVID-19 pandemic. The world including the advanced countries are looking up to India for affordable and effective vaccines to save their people. Such achievements of our scientists are a quantum leap towards an Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Along with the rest of the country, the Governor said that Nagaland also has been moving forward and contributing to the building of an Atmanirbhar Bharat. Nagaland has faced the COVID-19 challenges with remarkable resilience and confidence. From no-testing lab, when we had to send our suspect samples to the labs in neighbouring States, the state has built 3 testing labs within a record time and upgraded the capacities of our hospitals. Our front-line COVID warriors including doctors, nurses, Safai Karmacharis, police personnel, SDRF and NDRF teams, Village Guards, Sanitation Workers in Urban Local Bodies, transport workers operating the buses carrying the returnees, those managing the quarantine centres, District Task Force protection, Nagaland Red Cross Volunteers and Civil Society organisations did excellent work in our collective fight against the pandemic mid saving lives. The state has started vaccination of more than 19,000 health workers of the State against COVID- 19 to be followed by vaccination of about 30,000 other frontline workers - police, home guards, disaster management, prison department personnel etc. and in the third phase it is proposed to vaccinate over 3.4 lakh people of the age of 50 years and above. However, we must continue to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols in our daily life in the form of wearing masks, maintaining social distance, regular hand washing and following all the other related guidelines, he stated.
Highlighting on the activities of the Government the Governor said that the Department of Agriculture is giving emphasis on organic farming which would not only fetch premium price for the produce to the farmers but also provide healthy and nutritious food to our people. Organic certification has been carried out by OneCert International under MOVCD-NER and till date an area of 13,000 ha has already been certified in the State.
The Department of Horticulture has chalked out an economic development roadmap for the horticulture sector, wherein the key highlights are the development of 100 vegetables villages for 10,0000 households, strengthening of the post harvest and value addition infrastructures for fruits and vegetables and promotion of mushroom cultivation apart from other activities.
The Department of Land Resources during 2020-21 under the Rubber Development Scheme distributed 215 No. of rubber sheet rollers to rubber growers in the State catering to an area of 643 Ha. of rubber plantation which have attained tappable stage. A cumulative area of 1000 ha has been brought under coffee plantation. In 409 project villages, kitchen garden based on permaculture design has been introduced.
The Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services has distributed approximately 80,000 Low Input Technology Chicks and 1000 weaner pigs to the farmers to help mitigate shortage of rearing stock due to pandemic.
The Department of Water Resources during 2020-21 is taking up 262 units of Groundwater Irrigation under PMKS Y- HKKP(IC& GW) at an estimated cost of Rs. l8. 06 crores to cover a CCA of 667.75 ha. This scheme is to be implemented in 5 (five) districts Dimapur, Mokokchung, Peren, Mon, and Wokha.
The Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in partnership with Japan International Development Agency, is implementing the Nagaland Forest Management Project in 185 villages. The Urban Development Department under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) has taken up 27 infrastructure projects in two AMRUT towns - Kohima and Dimapur to be completed by the end of 2020-21. During Swachh Survekshan 2020, three Urban Local Bodies from Nagaland viz. Mokokchung, Chumukedima and Pfutsero bagged awards in respective categories from North East Zone.
The Department of Underdeveloped Areas (DUDA) is taking up programmes on infrastructure development, education, health care, livelihood and economic development in the backward areas during 2020-21 through the implementation of Underdeveloped Areas Program (UD AP) with an annual outlay of Rs. 17.85 crores and Border Area Development Program (BADP) with an annual outlay of Rs. 11.20 crores.
School Education has taken initiatives for ensuring the process of Continuous Learning in all Government schools. The Department has launched Online Teachers' Transfer to ensure transparency in the system.
The Technical Education sector got a boost with the building inauguration of Government Polytechnic Aboi, Mon, on 27th Dec. 2020 by the Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio.
Noklak district which became operational since August of last year was formally inaugurated on 20th January 2021 and became the 12th district of the State. The State has not seen any major eruption of law and order problem for some time.
For accelerated infrastructure development in Nagaland, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has taken up building 952 KM road at the cost of Rs. 10,972 crores. The work is in progress. The Ministry of Railways is bringing rail connectivity near the State capital by investing Rs. 7,114.55 crores in building Dhansiripar-Zubza railway line. Therefore, the Governor urged the people, specially, the village authorities to help and co-operate for speedy execution of these roads and railway projects.
(Nongozo & Mhonlumi)