Dimapur VDB celebrate 25 silver years
Morung Express News
November 29
DIMAPUR: The Dimapur District Sports Council stadium came alive today with music, song and dance. Forging ahead, the Village Development Board, Dimapur celebrated its silver jubilee amidst much pomp and gaiety. Before proceeding for lunch served in an indigenously crafted Naga wooden plate, minister for rural development Noke in his speech focused on the year 2006 being declared as the “Year of Farmers.” Per se, he requested all VDBs to actively participate in the annual event. He asked them to resolve to invest the Grant-in-aid amount for the year 2005-2006 for exclusively taking up only income generating agricultural activities so as to give a boost to rural economy. The minister campaigned for the proper, judicious and transparent use of funds for implementation of especially the income generating and other viable schemes suited to local needs.
He announced that the government was taking into active consideration a proposal to further increase rural household grant from Rs 800 to Rs 900. “Along with the increase in the quantum of Grant-in-Aid, the present government has also approved the upward revision of the number of households in the State from 1, 39,557 to 2, 16,478 registering an overall increase of 76,921 households,” he said.
Categorising VDBs into performing, mediocre and non-performing boards, he admonished that it was observed over the years that aspects such as complacency, over dependence, lack of required motivation and interest, lack of probity etc have been some of the weaknesses and drawbacks the VDBs suffer from. “And unless these ills are properly tackled, the malaise itself may be irreparably affect the performance of such VDBs in the long run. We cannot, therefore, allow such rot to set in and effect the functioning of the VDBs,” he said. VDBs cater to the common needs of almost 90% of Nagaland’s rural population.
Khekiho Zhimomi, Industries Minister in his speech exhorted that the VDB was formed because the leaders had a concern for the Nagas. Stating that Dimapur was a place where Nagas of different backgrounds reside, he said that it was an experiment for the Nagas to live together.
K Hollohon, Parliamentary Secretary, Social Welfare and Chairman, DPDB Dimapur released the VDB Silver Jubilee Magazine.
In his keynote address, Director of Rural Development Department Nagaland Metsubo Jamir informed that the VDB is a concept based on the traditional lines of the Village Councils. “The VDBs are the grass-root level Developmental Institutions in the State and are responsible for implementation of all programmes/schemes of both under State plan and Centrally Sponsored Schemes under Rural Development Department,” he said. The Rural Development Department has allotted funds from Central and State sources to VDBs ranging from Rs 15 lakhs to Rs 20 lakhs to smaller villages and Rs 1 crore to Rs 3 crores to bigger villages, the director said. Various tribes presented cultural dances while the Nagaland Chamber Choir enthralled the audience with their melodious voices. Apart from cultural items, there was tug of war.
Yajen Aier, retired Director of School Education could not attend the function as scheduled owing to ill health. However, in a message, he conveyed that unity should be the hallmark of Naga society as practiced down the ages.
