Governor highlights various sectors, priorities of govt in Nagaland

Intends to introduce 'Naga-integrated Settled Farming' in all districts

Our Correspondent
Kohima | March 21 

Nagaland’s Governor La Ganesan today said that the socio-economic progress of Nagaland state continues to be reliant on agriculture and allied activities in a significant way, with about 70%of the population being directly or indirectly dependent on these sectors.

“While we continue making efforts to improve the agricultural practices and enhance the productivity, we also strive to be a larger part of organic basket of the country,” Governor said in his address on the second day of the first session of 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) here today.

Under Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCD-NER), organic certification has been issued for 23,000 hectare (ha) area in the state with the formation of 38 Farmer Producer's Organisation, he said.
The Department of Agriculture will take further steps for diversification, particularly towards high-value crops, oil seeds and pulses, he added.

Ganesan further informed that Government intends to introduce 'Naga-integrated Settled Farming,’ an innovative model of cluster development to ensure sustainable livelihood for farmers and transform the subsistence agriculture to commercial and sustainable agriculture, to all districts. 

The model is being implemented as a pilot project in Boke-Botsa under Kohima district, he informed while highlighting different activities of the State Government in his customary address. 

AH &Vety to enhance productivity 

As measures for productivity enhancement of meat, milk and eggs, the Department of Animal distributed more than 1.35 lakh Low Input Technology (LIT) chicks to the needy farmers from the State Poultry Farms. These poultry birds are expected to generate 337.66 tons of meat, the Governor said.

The Department has successfully inducted 16 Mobile Veterinary Units (MVU) under Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme, he said. 

Likewise, to further develop fisheries sector, the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana would be taking up 3 new freshwater finfish hatcheries, construction of 50 ha new rearing ponds, development of 32 backyard ornamental fish units and one integrated fish unit (breeding and rearing of fresh water fish) amounting to Rs 1500 lakh, he added. 

Rs 1684.22 lakh for soil testing labs

The Department of Soil and Water Conservation has earmarked an amount of Rs 1684.22 lakh for setting up of 4 soil testing labs in the newly created districts for promotion and distribution of micronutrients, setting up of biofertilisers production units and soil testing and analysis, the Governor said. 

The Department of Land Resources Development has also operationalised Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana - Watershed Development Component 2.0 (PMKSY-WDC) 2.0 in 5 underdeveloped districts -Tuensang, Noklak, Kiphire, Phek and Peren - for natural resources management, including promotion of high-value plantation crops for economic development, he added. 

The Department of Sericulture has brought a total of 600 acres of land under Silkworm host plant cultivation and Silkworm rearing under both State and CSS Programme and in 2023-24 and  proposes to set up 3 Eri Silk Processing Unit and 3 Silkworm Seed Production Centre, he informed. 

To improve health and nutrition status of children below 6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers and adolescent children, the  Department of Social Welfare is running 3980 Anganwadi Centres catering to 4,10,819 beneficiaries across the State through Anganwadi Services and Poshaan Abhiyaan Scheme in 60 Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Projects, the Governor highlighted. 

He also elaborated on  'Mission Shakti- an integrated women programme with two sub-schemes - "Sambal"  for safety and security  and "Samarthya" for empowerment.

“This is in line with our policy of women empowerment and gender equality in letter and spirit,” Ganesan said, noting that it is not possible to achieve societal and developmental goals without women’s active participation and contribution.

‘Model Horticulture Village’

Under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture for 2023-24, the concerned department is planning to introduce the concept of "Model Horticulture Village," Ganesan informed. 

Under this one village each in all the 16 districts of the state shall be identified as a "Model Village” by the Department of Horticulture with focus on cultivation of a single fruit or spice crop based on the economic potentiality and agro-climatic suitability, he said. 

The "Model Villages" would be provided with various infrastructures and the department will be providing an amount of Rs 52 crore for this purpose.

The Department of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, under Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) funded Externally Aided Project (EAP), Nagaland Forest Management Project (NFMP), has so far covered 88 villages bringing an area of 24,225 hectares under afforestation while the Department is implementing another externally aided project, "Forest & Biodiversity Management in the Himalaya, Nagaland,” he said. 

The KfW, Germany funded project, based on Financial Participatory Approach, is being adopted in 26 project villages, he added. 

The Governor also maintained that the Department is making serious efforts on seeking funding under Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD)+ regime in the voluntary carbon market.

School Nursery Yojana covering 36 schools will also be implemented across Nagaland, he said.

MGNREGS generates over 182 lakh person days

The Department of Rural Development under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), generated more than 182 lakh person days in the current financial year and for the FY 2023-24 while  it envisages to complete 11,881 houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G).

Under Mission Amrit Sarovar, the Department has also identified 204 sites, he said.

The Department of PHE under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), have till date provided a total of 2, 22,583 Functional Household Tap Connection in Nagaland out of 3, 69,794 rural households in the state.

Further, a total of 1, 47,211 households are planned for coverage with drinking water supply under JJM during 2023-24.

The PHE Department has also initiated the Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus activities with the aim to reinforce the capacity of individuals and communities to create a people's movement to ensure that the ODF status of rural areas is sustained, people continue to practice safe hygienic behaviour and that all villages have solid and liquid waste management facilities, Governor said.

Govt identifies Ropeway project 

Meanwhile, the Governor said that State Government has identified Ropeway project under the Parvatmala Programme for urban decongestion, connecting inaccessible areas and to improve the tourism attractiveness of the state.

The Department of Urban Development is facilitating the smooth transition of urban growth through preparation of Development/Master Plans and undertaking various Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) flagship programmes, he claimed. 

Under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), 17 out of 27 projects have been completed while remaining 10 are on the verge of completion, he said.

Recently, AMRUT 2.0 has been launched with a total expected allocation of Rs 176 crore, with the main objective to make all cities/towns 'Water Secure' and it is proposed to cover all the 39 ULBs in the State, he informed. 

Disaster Risk Reduction roadmap 

Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) in order to enhance resilience towards disaster and climate change would be implementing the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) roadmap for Nagaland with actionable targets and goals in coordination with 60 departments in the state from 2023 to 2030, Ganesan informed. 

The NSDMA has also developed the Nagaland State Disaster Management Information System (NSDMIS) to simplify its core operations such as keeping record of disasters & fund assistance to disaster affected people; keeping track of weather patterns to anticipate and mitigate disasters; and all aspects related to DRR in line with global Sendai Frameworks and the Prime Minister’s 10-point agenda, he added. 

96% NFSA Aadhaar seeding

The Governor further highlighted that Department of Food and Civil Supplies has achieved 100% online allocation and Chain Management while there is 96% Aadhaar seeding for the National Food Security Act (NFSA) Ration Cards.

As envisaged by the Government of India to achieve 100% coverage of Fortified Rice in the entire country by March 2024 under Phase-Ill through Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), the Department is also taking initiatives to cover five more districts -Peren, Dimapur, Longleng, Mokokchung and Phek, from May 2023, he informed.

Rice being the staple food in Nagaland, with a wide coverage of population under TPDS, it is envisaged that micronutrient deficiency cases in the State can be reduced to a great extent, he added.

Also highlighting the Myki Store, an initiative of the Department of Women Resource to promote products of local women, Governor said that during 2023-24, the department proposes to undertake community based resource development programmes for women in the districts, initiation of new programmes targeting business start-ups by women entrepreneurs, short term training programmes for young women in apparels & accessories production, food processing & setting up of mini processing units for upgrading the skills of women cultivators among others.