Peren, March 7 (MExN): Chairman, Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN), TR Zeliang today launched Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM)/ National Rurban Mission (NRUM) under the Department of Rural Development at Pedi (Ngwalwa), Peren.
The mission aims to develop cluster of villages that preserve and nurture the essence of the rural community life with focus on equity and inclusiveness without compromising with the facilities perceived essentially urban in nature, thus creating a cluster of “Rurban Villages,” according to a press release received here.
Zeliang said under this mission, every Rurban cluster will be developed as a project comprising components covering training linked to social activities, developing skills and local entrepreneurship and providing necessary infrastructure amenities. He said Pedi (Ngwalwa) cluster under Peren district was selected in the first phase as the area is compact, hence no problem in supervision and implementation.
Elaborating on the programme, Zeliang said the projects will be implemented over a fixed timeframe of three years by integrating and converging the implementation of project components. In this, he called upon the RD department, the line departments and the selected villages to collectively work together focusing on sustainable items while starting the projects and to focus on the benefit of all villagers.
He reminded that if the mission fails in the first phase, it will not be able to continue in the rest of the districts. Therefore, he urged all village councils, VDBs, women hohos, youth, SHGs and the villagers to work together to make the mission a success instead of only depending on the Nodal department and allied departments.
“If the program is a success here, there will be no problem in covering the entire State under Rurban in the next phase,” he stated.
Zeliang also lamented that the State is not yet self sufficient because the schemes do not reach the people and projects are not being implemented properly. He called for a change in “our” mindset for development so that the cluster project will not be a failure.
The DAN chairman was accompanied by host of ministers and parliamentary secretaries.
Minister for Rural Development and REPA, CL John, who graced the occasion as the guest of honour, thanked the former Chief Minister under whose leadership the scheme was brought in Nagaland. He urged the villages concerned to take this as an opportunity to grow as a community, bond with one another and come together to uplift and develop their villages into a fully self sufficient one.
Highlighting on the significance of Rurban, Secretary, RD, Kelei Zeliang informed that the Union cabinet chaired by Prime minister of India approved the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission on September 16, 2015 and further launched it on February 21, 2016.
Out of the 20 sub districts in Nagaland, Pedi (Ngwalwa) cluster under Peren district was approved in the phase 1. The villages under Pedi cluster are Heningkunglwa, Ngwalwa village, Ngwalwa Hq, Gaili, Gailinamdi and Punglwa.
