Dimapur, September 14 (MExN): Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development S. Pangnyu Phom today highlighted the importance of traditional institutions in the development process that the functioning of Village Development Boards (VDBs) in Nagaland has stood the test of time. It has emerged as a pivot on which all rural grass root-level developmental activities revolve around.
He was addressing the India Today Chief Minister’s Conclave on Monday where Nagaland was awarded for best performance in rural housing. Pangnyu explained that although Nagaland is a small state it is one of the earliest proponents of decentralized planning. He highlighted the role played by traditional institutions of the village councils and the VDBs. He said the devolution of power to the grass-root has paved the way for further communitization of health, power, water supply and education services where the management is “empowered to the people”. The parliamentary secretary also informed the gathering that the success of the VDBs through decentralization, devolution and communitization has been proven by the United Nations Public Service Award in 2008 to Nagaland.
Addressing the conclave where Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was the chief guest, the Nagaland representative said that Nagas are “innovative pioneers” in the field of rural development. According to him, with 21 out of the 52 blocks ‘un-banked’ in the state, the latest innovative venture has been the attempt to declare VDBs as ‘financial intermediaries’ to integrate the ever-important credit mechanism in the rural areas for development of the rural economy.
“The ramification to this approach, if successful, would ensure that the downtrodden poor, grass root level organizations of our country would be provided the power to control the credit/loan mechanism such that the base of economic progress of our rural-based nation will be determined by the poorest of the poor of our nation. A dream nonetheless but not an impossible vision,” said Pangnyu.
On behalf of the government of Nagaland, the parliamentary secretary has expressed gratitude to the organizers of the award, the Times of India Group and also the Union Ministry of Rural Development for the generous assistance in the endeavor to bring about development in Nagaland. Pangnyu said that the award was as much the state being recognized as it was for the contribution of the Ministry of RD Government of India under the leadership of Union Minister CP Joshi.
