DIMAPUR, JUNE 23 (MExN): Contrary to the recent announcement made by the Minister for Youth Resources and Sports (Y R & S), Nagaland, stating that Wokha district already has a Youth Resource Centre, a citizen from Wokha has clarified that there is no government-run youth centre in the district. MHP Kyong, who identified himself as a concerned citizen, stated that the only youth centre in the district is managed and run privately by Don Bosco Higher Secondary School, Wokha.
The state Youth Resources Minister during a recent national conference of ministers and secretaries of Youth Affairs & Sports held in the month of May in New Delhi had proposed setting up of Youth Resource Centres in ten districts of the state. The Minister’s proposal had appeared in the local dailies through a press release from the Department of Y R & S. In the release it was mentioned that the Minister in the meeting had proposed setting up of Youth Resource Centres in all the districts except Wokha as the district already has one.
The Wokha-based citizen however chose to differ on the Minister’s comment with regard to Wokha. Quoting “highly placed sources”, Kyong said that during the DAN-I regime, the government had sanctioned Rs. 65 lakhs for opening a youth centre-cum-office in Wokha. This was in 2005. Following the government sanction, the hunt for a suitable site to set up the centre began. However, while the search for the site was in progress, for reasons unknown or best known to the powers that be, the fund was diverted for some other project in another district. Kyong chose not to disclose the district where the fund was diverted citing confidential reasons.
Eight years on and two elections later, the proposed youth centre project is yet to see the light of day. In this regard, Kyong asked the Minister concerned to kindly look into the matter, at the same time, verify records from the Y R & S Directorate and Youth Resource Office, Wokha.
