Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio takes the salute from march-past contingents during the 59th Statehood day celebration in Kohima on December 1. (Morung Photo)
Our Correspondent
Kohima | December 1
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio today called upon the people of the state to rededicate themselves to work together and take the state forward on the road to peace, growth and development, and provide better standards of living for the citizens.
“We must work harder on building and improving our human capital. And we need to further improve our administrative and governance systems, to accelerate the pace of development,” Rio said in his address at the 59th Statehood Day in Kohima today.
Rio appealed the people to come forward and join hands with the government, “in our effort to usher in a new era of peace, development and prosperity.” He thanked all the leaders, who played a pioneering role in the creation of Nagaland as the sixteenth State of the Union of India on December 1, 1963.
This year's celebrations of Statehood day coincides with the ongoing nationwide celebrations to commemorate 75 years of India's Independence ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ and the achievements of its people.
Indo Naga political issue
Rio noted that it has been close to six decades since Nagaland attained statehood and the quality of life of the people has significantly improved during this period. “The expansion of health and education facilities, the road and power infrastructure has been especially impressive. Despite achievements in various fields, a lot remains to be done,” he said. The government is committed to take necessary steps for all round development and to ensure that the people are provided with the best opportunities for growth and progress, he added.
While the State occupies a unique position in the Indian Union with special provisions in the Constitution, he said, the Naga people continue to earnestly wait for a solution to the Naga political issue. “The dialogue and negotiations between the Government of India and the Naga Political Groups have reached a stage that gives us hope of an early resolution.”
He said all the elected leaders of the state have come together to form an opposition-less government in the form of the United Democratic Alliance, in an effort to facilitate an early settlement of the Naga Political Issue. Through this united front, we aim to convey the voice of the people to all stakeholders involved in the negotiations, Rio maintained.
State to implement NEP 2020
He said that it has been the continuous endeavor of the state government to improve the quality of education in schools and colleges.
“We are happy that 31 colleges out of the 66 colleges in Nagaland have been accredited by the National Assessment & Accreditation Council-NAAC, and many other colleges’ applications are in the pipeline,” Rio said. The Department of School Education has commenced implementing the National Education Policy 2020 in a phased manner. Various innovative projects are being introduced, such as making the teaching-learning process joyful and productive to both students and teachers, he added.
Road connectivity to see further boost
The CM said that the road network in the state is expected to see a further boost, with Nagaland PWD and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited carrying out several projects in the State. Prominent among them includes 78 km of 2-laning in Wokha -Mokokchung sector of National Highway-2, strengthening of existing pavement in NH-2, NH-202 and NH 702-A. Further, 89 roads and bridges projects, including 22 Bridges are being constructed under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, covering a total length of 1,107 Km, with a total sanctioned amount of Rs 2,284 crore, Rio said. Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) are also under preparation for the East-West corridor and North- South corridor in the state, Rio said.
