Nagaland govt turns to NSDZs

Nagaland Special Development Zones: resolution introduced 

Our Correspondent
Kohima | March 22
Minister for planning & coordination, evaluation and geology & mining T.R. Zeliang today moved a government resolution to introduce the setting up of Nagaland Special Development Zones (NSDZs) at the ongoing assembly session here.

Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) Speaker, Chotisuh Sazo, said the resolution will be considered on March 24.
The resolution stated that there is an imperative to promote and facilitate faster industrialization and urbanization of Nagaland, “to achieve faster growth and development of the State’s economy, and to generate more employment opportunity for the youths.” The Government of Nagaland has resolved to create NSDZs along the foothills of the State, wherever possible.

By tradition, noted the resolution, almost all Naga villages are on hill tops, with serious problems of logistics in providing infrastructure for development such as roads and other means of communication, water supply, electricity etc., and whereas on account of these, the people of the State have to gradually come down to the low lying areas of the State to take advantage of better facilities available there, that could eventually meet the aspirations of the future generations.

The resolution stated the exact identification and demarcation of the areas to be included in the NSDZs will be done by the State Government, in consultation with Deputy Commissioners, tribe Hohos and the people/land owners concerned.

After this, cadastral survey of land concerned will have to be carried out and a proper system of issuing pattas to land owners have to be established. The resolution said that the State Government will acquire only such lands in the NSDZs that are essentially required for setting up common infrastructure and facilities needed for proper development and functioning of the NSDZs.

In order to make the NSDZs viable, the Nagaland State Government will simultaneously undertake construction of a four lane foot-hill road from Tizit, Mon District, in the North to Khelma, Peren district, in the South, which will provide road connectivity to the NSDZs. The Indian Railways have also approved the construction of a new rail line along the foothills of Nagaland from Dimapur to Tizit, which will also enhance the success and viability of the NSDZs.

Therefore, the resolution stated, this House approves the constitution of a Ministerial Committee comprising 9 members in total, headed by the Chief Minister with the Chief Secretary as member-secretary, with powers to co-opt reasonable number of members of the NLA and also a High Powered Committee headed by the Chief Secretary with the Development Commissioner as member-secretary to assist the ministerial committee who shall review the existing State laws/orders/instructions with a view to amending them to make the NSDZs effective. It will also review and reorient the Nagaland State Industrial Policy with a view to liberalizing entry of, and investment from, non-Nagas and other investors in the NSDZs, to formulate a master plan for NSDZs, to issue instructions to all departments to reorient their annual plans in consonance with the master plan for NSDZs, to suggest mechanisms for cadastral survey of lands falling in NSDZ areas and evolving a system of registration of ownership of lands and issue of patta thereof, to evolve as system of permanent settlement for Non-Nagas for the purpose of investment in the NSDZs in all form of special land access permits to be issued by the State Government in this behalf and to liberalize the system of entry and stay of non-Nagas in the NSDZs for the purpose of investment.

The House approved that the Ministerial and High Powered Committee shall consult land owners, tribe Hohos, civil societies and others concerned while evolving framework and mechanisms with regard to NSDZs.