Morung Express News
Dimapur | September 10
Nagaland Government is adopting six strategies in its planning process for overall development of the State, informed a top official of the Planning Department. According to additional development commissioner, Temsuwati, the strategies are reduction of poverty, education and health care facilities, better livelihood through creation of employment opportunities, improvement of standard of living through economic growth, enhancement of wealth through sectoral growth and, creation and improvement of infrastructure.
Temsuwati who was the chief guest of the valedictory function of the three-day convention of community development facilitators, organised by Agency for Integral Development Agency (AIDA) here at AIDA premise, said in order to achieve these strategies, everything has to start from the grass root or community level. Stating that change or transformation should begin from the bottom or grass root level, the commissioner said the State government had realised this and was therefore giving priority to development of backward and rural areas.
In 2004, the Government established a new department called Department of Under-Developed Areas (DUDA) to accelerate development in backward areas, he added. Exhorting the community development facilitators and workers, Temsuwati said they should be dedicated and have visions if they really want to improve the lot of the masses.
Lt Col KS Bankoti of 24 Assam Rifles, the guest of honour in the valedictory function, in his address said he had witnessed tremendous development and change in Nagaland since his first posting to the State way back in 1974. He said the initiatives and awareness spread by agencies such as AIDA, have also contributed to the rapid strides in field of development.
Director AIDA, Fr. Tony who also spoke on the occasion, expressed happiness that miracles and transformation were taking place at the level of the community development facilitators since AIDA embarked on a mission of nurturing leaders at village level a decade ago. He said one of the key beliefs of AIDA is that effective development is possible only if comes from grass root or community level.
Highlights of the closing function included cultural presentations and individual sharing by delegates. Later, Lt Col KS Bankoti inaugurated the IT Enabled Services training centre of AIDA. Around 250 community development facilitators from the four states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland, took part in the convention. AIDA, the developmental wing of Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) was founded on December 8, 1985.
