Success stories, failures noted as VDB meet ends

 

DIMAPUR | DECEMBER 1: Minister for Health & Family Welfare Kuzholuzo (Azo) Nienu today said that “communitisation” was like a “common baby” and that both the government and community should put in more efforts to improve it instead of resorting to blame game.
“We should stop pointing fingers at one another. I believe there are plenty of areas where the Villages Development Boards (VDBs), Village Education Committees (VECs) and others should also improve,” the minister said in his address at the closing function of the Nagaland VDB & Communitisation conference.
Azo said Nagas and Nagaland have now gained international recognition because of the unique VDB and Communitisation set ups and so the government would spare no pains to improve upon them.
He said the interactive session he had Monday evening with the village health committees (VHCs) was also an eye opener for him as the session not only dwelled on success stories alone but also highlighted the failures, loopholes and bottlenecks of the functioning of different VHCs.
The minister also reiterated the chief minister’s appeal for presentation of correct figures of village population in the 2011 census.
“In order to gain the confidence of the government of India and international community, the census should be correct,” he added.
Parliamentary secretary for Rural Development Pangnyu Phom who also spoke on the occasion hoped that the conference would yield positive results. “Some villages are still not functioning well. The conference has given us the opportunity to learn from each other,” Pangnyu said.
Assuring that the government was always ready to extend all possible help, he also appealed to the villagers, irrespective of party affiliations, to give cooperation to the present government.
The parliamentary secretary further hoped that through the VDBs and Communitisation, Nagaland State would emerge as one of the most advanced states in the country in the near future.
Representatives from the Village Education Committees (VECs), Village Health Committees (VHCs), Village Electricity Maintenance Boards (VEMBs), Water & Sanitation Committees (WATSAN) and Village Development Boards (VDBS) also shared their experiences from the conference.
Children of the Blind School led by their principal also presented special songs at the closing function, which was chaired by commisioner & secretary (RD) Viketol Sakhrie.

 

 

Dimapur, December 1 (DIPR): Various departments including Agri and allied sectors expressed concern over the grave scenario of climatic change and discussed ways and means to tackle the situation. ACS & Development Commissioner and Chairman, Organising Committee, Alemtemshi Jamir, IAS, presided over the technical session of the Nagaland VDB & Communitization Conference 2009 on December 1 at Ganeshnagar, Dimapur and also invited queries from the participants on the related issues.
Representative from the Forest Department apprised the participants on the dangers of deforestation and climatic change. He stressed on the ill effects of the depleting ozone layer and suggested ways and means to mitigate global warming. Stating that regeneration of the forest cover is the main way to tackle the problem, the speakers spoke on the need to plant more trees and how the community can contribute towards the cause. Power Department dwelt on the importance of power preservation and advocated use of CFL bulb by all concerned, thereby contributing towards eco-friendly living.
Various measures for adapting to the climatic changes were taken up by the Agri Department. These included selection of plants species that are resistant to heat and moisture stress, adjustment of sowing time, improvement of rainwater harvesting, shift of cultivation of Kharif crops to Rabi crops and awareness and implementation of technical backup programme.
Horticulture department also dwelt on drought and erratic rainfall and further rise in temperature which affect production of fruits. The department suggested ways for more food production despite the climate changes and also need for proper irrigation system by conservation of water during the monsoon. It also suggested forming of village level committees on climate change. Department of Water & Soil Conservation stated that Nagaland is contributing towards global climate changes and amongst others, the most important contributing factor is the expensive practice of shifting cultivation without proper soil and water conservation measures. The department therefore acknowledged that optimum uses and judicious management of land and water resources are essential pre-requisites for both primary and sustaining healthy natural environment of the state. Fisheries department also expounded on fish farming for sustainable livelihood ensuring employment generation and food security.
Veterinary & Animal Husbandry department advocated on meat, milk and eggs for self sufficiency through piggery, dairy and poultry farming. The department also dwelt on integrated faming, livestock and fodder and use of bio-gas etc. Honey and Beekeeping Mission, Bio-resource Mission and NEPED also presented the objectives of their respective missions.