Minister for PHED & Cooperation, Jacob Zhimomi (6th from Right) seen with other dignitaries and winners of NCDC Regional Award for Cooperative Excellence and Merit 2025.
Morung Express News
Kohima | November 18
Nagaland state being a welfare government and not a private government, Minister, PHED & Cooperation, Jacob Zhimomi on Tuesday stated that, “our primary concern is the communities in the state across the length and breadth, to the last man standing in the village or in Indian soil.”
Addressing the inaugural of the three-day Nagaland Cooperative Conclave from November 18-20 that began at NBCC Convention Hall Kohima on November 18, he said the conclave is being held under the theme, “Cooperatives- A Catalyst for Economic Transformation” towards that direction to celebrate the journey of the cooperatives in the state of Nagaland.
Maintaining that the cooperative sector in the state has been very silently working behind the scenes, he underscored that their contributions were immense in the process of nation-building.
He recalled that the Ministry of Cooperation Department was initiated by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra ModI in 2021 to promote and to bring about tangible development at the lowest strata, involving community participation in the country.
Pointing out that although India got political freedom in 1947, he said that it did not result in going self-reliant but “we were dependent on foreign goods and services, and thereby our local traders, small-scale industries, cottage industries, medium industries suffered because of the import of cheap products from foreign land for a very long period of time.”
ln this regard, He spoke about the Prime Minister’s movement called ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ translating to ‘vocal for local’ and emphasized on the need to start promoting our own entrepreneurs, goods and services and developing faith in our own products.
He asserted that Aatmanirbhar Bharat will be the basis of Viksit Bharat 2047 (developed India) for which ‘vocal for local’ would be one of the principal guiding forces to achieve the target by 2047.
In Nagaland, he reminded that cooperatives are going to play a crucial role in this regard and while congratulating them for having come this far, he urged upon the need to diversify the cooperative initiatives and not limit themselves to only milk and allied fields but also expand to the tourism sector.
Stating that there is a huge revenue wherein cooperatives can be developed and become self-reliant and thereby contribute to the development of the state and nation building, he also underscored that, “youth involvement is going to be very important in this sector.”
He noted that a lot of societies have been doing well in the agri and allied sectors, but asserted that, “we should go beyond that horizon and be more dynamic.”
Over 8400 Cooperative Societies in Nagaland
Minister, PHED & Cooperation, Jacob Zhimomi also highlighted that there are over 8400 Cooperative Societies in the state of Nagaland. In this connection, he further dwelt on the immense potential that the state has especially in terms of its organic produce.
With internet accessibility, he also noted that today everyone has free access to smartphones, information, and education and urged the gathering to take advantage of it towards the development of the state.
Pointing out that development cannot be imported, he underlined that, “we have to develop our own state, own villages, own towns, and our own economy.”
“And in that way, collectively we will come together and face the journey of Viksit Bharat and celebrate in 2047 of the Government of India,” he remarked while adding that the Government is there to support them through the Central Government and State Government. “But you also have to come halfway. Government will come halfway. We will collectively move. That is why it’s called Cooperative Societies,” he said.
