Our Correspondent
Kohima | June 27
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio today said the government would be declaring Nagaland free from plastic by November this year. In small way to start with, Rio said the government will support some entrepreneurs for small cottage industry for bamboo basket, cane bag and paper bag etc.
He said this while addressing the launching programme of ‘Made in Nagaland’ Expo Centre here near Nagaland Civil Secretariat under ‘Impact 5000 by 18’ by YouthNet Nagaland in partnership with the state government.
Rio also announced that the state has already got organic certification from appropriate authority. “Soon we want to make Nagaland as organic state,” he said. He however said just announcing will not do. “We have to produce in big quantity and go for export,” he said.
He also said that quality control and bigger volume of production has to be taken into account to emerge as ‘commercially viable.’ He regretted that the trend of self employment and venturing into other areas for gainful employment is low in the state and people continue to depend on government.
Stating that the state has been propagating cleanliness in the society, he said by August, the government will be declaring Nagaland as open defecation free. Referring to slogan “Change is coming,” he said that unless the people change the state cannot change.
In this, he said that the government has many things in mind and vision to change “our people, our state.” He called upon the youth to play an important role and work together to bring change for better. “Government is always with the youth. We want all of us to be proud to be a Naga. If we want to be proud then we have to be proud for some reasons be in sports, be in our products and making it things different that attracts the people,” he said.
