Notes on Nagaland Vision 2030 A common man’s perspective

GOVERNMENT The state of Nagaland follows a dual format type of governance: Central and Decentralized, similar to G.0.1.'s Delhi and her federal state governments with this aspect formatted further downstream. The binary pattern is manifested in representation through: election at the State level and consensus at the District/Tribal, with the duo converging at the district. The elected body legislates into law on the concurrence of the tribal bodies. The degree of participation, openness and oneness encapsulates the essence and understanding of democracy andNagatraditionalpolity characterized by its vibrancy and resilience. ECONOMY The economy is built on four cornerstones: Hydrocarbons, Agro & Allied, an inland 'Entreport'/Transit Point and Information Technology. Utilizing its three assets of petroleum & gas, biological ecosystem and its portal of east/west for trade between the Indian subcontinent and South-East Asia and investing in the IT sector through measures of R&D, start-ups, grants and soft loans, the state has prudently established a resilient trade based on energy, food and knowledge economy (the global information-driven economy). It places a high priority on small and medium sized enterprises and on the dynamics of entrepreneurship to transform society so has set into motion measures to impel this engine forward. WELFARE Addresses the two weakest constituents of the social spectrum: the Young by measures of free education under SSA and RMSA and a covered health insurance till the age of fifteen and the Old through the centrally sponsored Senior Citizen Corner and all other socially disabled constituents through programs under Central Schemes: NSAP, RSBY, ESIS, AABY, JBY, UHIS, etc. VIGILANCE & REVENUE COMMISSION Operating through two branches: Public Services and Public Works, this body is instrumental in the success of the state by monitoring and maintaining the requisite and delegated norms and standards. It is chaired by a committee of all tribes' representation and during sessions is aided by a serving or retired police official from any N.E. State.   THE STRATEGY Envisioning such a future is easy but achieving it requires dealing with the existing problems in a reasonable and logical manner. There are many reasons why the state is in its present mire but chief among them is the Indo-Naga political standoff of over 60 years. The responsibility lies with the state but GOI must cut some slack considering that a situation where a small state with modest revenues is extravagant on salarieshappens only with implicit acquiescence relating to its peculiar and extraordinary circumstancesbut waiting in the wingsis a further 60,000 + educated unemployed anda voluminous semi-educated unemployed youths in the villages.Thereforeplanning andenvisioninga common-future for a common-good must begin by curtailing governmental spending on government and investing in sustainable infrastructural and human resourcegrowthreliant upon skills, competence andprofessionalism tocreate wealththat capacitates employmentalong the lines of NITI Aayog. When a government’sequilibrium diminishes it musteither (a) acquirea new operating system, or (b) carry out an overhaul of its machinery, not acting upon it will induce an inevitable debacleoftentimes the first choice is a rehash without any significant change while the latter examines flaws for rectification and restructuring of its weaknesses. If a combination of both does takes place its concentric pointshould be retrenchment to stem waste and freeingup capital to maintain parity and betterment of the common citizenry. A mock-up sketch could approximate:1. Restructuring Governance and 2. Developmental Structure Restructuring Governance Administering public services in a professional and cohesive manner by minimal government and maximal governance andgaining the trust and reciprocalof the governed can be translated as State (Controlled-Planning, Managerial) and Local Self Governments or common man's council a.k.a.aamaadmisarkar(De-controlled - Practical Applications)thereby formalizing the devolution of powers. A retrenched workforce for example could be to the ratio; State government 5% :  Local governments 35% : Retrenched 60%. A 60 percent cut would mean a savings of about 2300cr per annum (2016-17 budget). A 5 year cumulative could go towards rehabilitative measures. Retrenchment              

1. a) Decentralize Education, Health,Power, Transport, Water and most of Policing
2. b) Community policing (without arms) both rural and urban habitats in co-ordination with police stations andprivatizing security of V.I.P.'s, offices, banks, etc.
3. c) Consolidation or Closure of departments that overlap,duplicate or are fragmentations. Compacting sizes by digitalizing and e-governance.Outsourcing services to academia and the private sector
4. d) Cutting-Off mediocrity by a commons examwhile retaining officers of caliber,young professionals
5. e) Decentralization of all state owned operations/establishments

  Rehabilitation              

1. a) Skill training with stipend & fees for the retrenched in sectors covering Oil Refining, Petrochemicals, Plastics, Hydrocarbon related industries, Agro & Allied farming/processing/packaging, IT, Educational, Healthcare, Services, etc.
2. b) Venture Capital of 10 lakhs each for the retrenchees. A 100 member constituting 1 unit therefore 750 units and singular units or multiples forming into small/medium/large enterprises with professional management and these units acting as lesser cogs of a larger coherent picture and relaxation of taxes during its incubation.
3. c) Collaboration, coordination or grants from MSME, SETU, Startup India, or private sector and sourcing loans from SIDBE, Banks with State as guarantor to the units.
4. d) GOI for raising of a divisional strength 'National Reserve Force' forJ&K, Arunachal borders, additionally for peacekeeping, rescue and relief

  Developmental Structure Skilled professionals arekey to innovation and competitiveness leading to growth and employment, so State must be the catalyst to create a congenial atmosphere of stimuli and impetus, it must culture the propagation of small and medium-sized enterprises with skilled labor and capacitate through new and innovate digital technologies. Research and the development of IT, medical, education, innovation, etc. is wider-based when linked to academia, therefore increasing by hundredfold tertiary course's attractive to foreign, national and NE students with grants and scholarships, initiating public-private-academic partnerships. Constituting a Council for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in conformity with MSDE, NSDC. Setting up others for: Digital Infrastructure (Digital India), Economic Development (National & FDI), Innovations (AIM, SETU), Tertiary Education, etc. If savings of the first five years goes for rehabilitation then the second five years ought to go towardsenriching livelihoods in the villages and the urban unemployed. An archetype could be zoning of regions for priority activities in cash crops, grains, vegetables, fruits, flowers, animals, etc. among the 16 major tribes with a package-deal of 500cr each and 11 district headquarters plus 3 municipalities getting 50cr each for small enterprises, channelizinggrants from MSME, MSDE, NSDC, SETU, IFAD, International Agencies, etc. arranging loans from SIDBE, Banks and weaving into coherence all central programs to avoid overlapping, duplication and fragmentations, a 1000cr hub for innovations, designing, music, research in IT, job creations, etc.   ADDITIONALLY

• State convenes a conclave of delegates from all villages and simultaneously at district hq’s with a lager representation.
• Tribes come to the consensus ofone people, one destinyand a interdependency of wealth, intellectual and material
• A moratorium of ten years for the creation of a common wealth from the revenues of hydrocarbons
• Hydrocarbon reserves & value 600mt at `2,500,000cr (according to DownToEarth). A conservative reserve/value of 1,000,000, and extraction of 2% per annum works out to 20,000cr and a royalty of 18% is `3,600cr per annum.
• RBI/World Bank/ADB sourced for funding a commonwealth of institutions under a commission of all Tribes representation aided by the civil services and experts from the national and international arena. A mock-up could be;

    By virtue of an unenviable task of retrenching and rehabilitating 75,000, the livelihoods of 500,000 can be transformed. Accepting change, clearing the undergrowth, repairing irrigation channels is nothing new to us, where we have fallen short is not applying the same principles to our governance and carrying out these chores will alter the demographics of Nagaland to one of dynamism, leadership, ingenuityandsustainability. A role that has been inherently capacitated but only emerges in its entirety when applied for fraternity and the common good. Lhouvi Tseikhanuo, Kohima Village