Nagaland Governor RN Ravi takes the Rashtriya Salute on the occasion of India’s 72nd Republic Day celebration at Secretariat Plaza, Kohima on January 26. (DIPR Photo)
Governor’s Republic Day address highlights State’s 'achievements,' says more in the offing
Kohima, January 26 (MExN): Nagaland has faced the COVID-19 challenges with remarkable resilience and confidence, Nagaland Governor RN Ravi maintained on Tuesday.
From no-testing lab and being dependent on neighbouring states, Nagaland has built 3 testing labs within a record time and upgraded the capacities of hospitals, Ravi highlighted, addressing the people of the State on the occasion of the 72nd Republic Day celebration at the Secretariat Plaza, Kohima on January 26.
“Our front-line COVID warriors including doctors, nurses, Safai Karmacharis, police personnel, SDRF and NDRF teams, Village Guards, Sanitation Workers in Urban Local Bodies, transport workers operating the buses carrying the returnees, those managing the quarantine centres, District Task Force protection, Nagaland Red Cross Volunteers and Civil Society organisations did excellent work in our collective fight against the pandemic mid saving lives,” the Governor was reported as saying by the State IPR.
As per the report, he also informed that the State has started vaccination of more than 19,000 health workers against COVID-19, to be followed by vaccination of about 30,000 other frontline workers - police, home guards, disaster management, prison department personnel etc.
In the third phase, it is proposed to vaccinate over 3.4 lakh people of the age of 50 years and above, he said.
The Governor also urged the people to continue to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols in the form of wearing masks, maintaining social distance, regular hand washing and following all the other related guidelines, it added.
He also noted that while the whole world has been suffering from the global COVID-19 pandemic, India has defied experts' initial predictions of unimaginably high scale of deaths and destruction likely to be caused by the pandemic.
In the last one year, the Governor said that India has taken enormous leaps in capacity building so much so that from scratch, the country today is an exporter of life saving kits and drugs like PPE, ventilators and medicines to other needy countries.
“The country under the leadership of Prime Minister, Modi launched the world's largest inoculation drive on January 16, 2021. In less than a week of launching, our country has shipped tens and thousands of free COVID-19 vaccines to the neighbouring countries,” he said.
Further maintaining that India makes 60% of the world's vaccines and playing a vital role in this global fight against COVID-19 pandemic, the Governor said that such achievements of Indian scientists are a “quantum leap towards an Atmanirbhar Bharat.”
As per the report, the Governor further noted that along with the rest of the country, Nagaland also has been moving forward and contributing to the building of an Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Highlights State Government’s achievements, activities
Meanwhile, highlighting various activities of the State Government, Governor Ravi, according to the report, said that the Department of Agriculture is giving emphasis on organic farming which would not only fetch premium price for the produce to the farmers but also provide healthy and nutritious food.
Organic certification has been carried out by OneCert International under MOVCD-NER and till date an area of 13,000 hectare (ha) has already been certified in the State, he said.
The Department of Horticulture has chalked out an economic development roadmap for the horticulture sector, wherein the key highlights are the development of 100 vegetables villages for 10,0000 households, strengthening of the post harvest and value addition infrastructures for fruits and vegetables and promotion of mushroom cultivation apart from other activities, he added.
The Governor also informed that the Department of Land Resources during 2020-21 under the Rubber Development Scheme distributed a total of 215 rubber sheet rollers to rubber growers in the State catering to an area of 643 ha of rubber plantation which have attained tappable stage.
A cumulative area of 1000 ha has been brought under coffee plantation and in 409 project villages, kitchen garden based on permaculture design has been introduced, he added.
The Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services has distributed approximately 80,000 Low Input Technology Chicks and 1000 weaner pigs to the farmers to help mitigate shortage of rearing stock due to pandemic, Ravi further highlighted.
The Department of Water Resources during 2020-21 is taking up 262 units of Groundwater Irrigation under PMKS Y- HKKP(IC& GW) at an estimated cost of Rs. 18.06 crore to cover a CCA of 667.75 ha and would be implemented in 5 (five) districts Dimapur, Mokokchung, Peren, Mon, and Wokha, he said.
The Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in partnership with Japan International Development Agency is implementing the Nagaland Forest Management Project in 185 villages.
The Governor also informed that the Urban Development Department under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) has taken up 27 infrastructure projects in two AMRUT towns - Kohima and Dimapur to be completed by the end of 2020-21.
During Swachh Survekshan 2020, three Urban Local Bodies from Nagaland viz. Mokokchung, Chumukedima and Pfutsero bagged awards in respective categories from North East Zone.
Ravi also informed that out that the Department of Underdeveloped Areas (DUDA) is taking up programmes on infrastructure development, education, health care, livelihood and economic development in the backward areas during 2020-21through the implementation of Underdeveloped Areas Program (UD AP) with an annual outlay of Rs 17.85 crore and Border Area Development Program (BADP) with an annual outlay of Rs 11.20 crore.
During the ongoing pandemic, the School Education has taken initiatives for ensuring the process of Continuous Learning in all Government schools and also has launched Online Teachers' Transfer to ensure transparency in the system, he said.
The Technical Education sector, he maintained, got a boost with the building inauguration of Government Polytechnic Aboi, Mon, on December 27,2020 by the Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio.
Operational since August, 2020, the official inauguration of Noklak as the 12th district of the State on January 20, 2021 was also highlighted by the Governor in his address.
The State has not seen any major eruption of law and order problem for some time, he further said.
For accelerated infrastructure development in Nagaland, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has taken up building 952 KM road at the cost of Rs. 10,972 crore and the works are in progress, the Governor said, dwelling on transport and infrastructure.
The Ministry of Railways is bringing rail connectivity near the State capital by investing Rs 7,114.55 crore in building Dhansiripar-Zubza railway line, he noted further urging the people, especially, the village authorities to help and co-operate for speedy execution of these roads and railway projects.
Ravi expressed gratitude to the “founding fathers whose sacrifices, sweat and blood created the Republic of India and also paid tribute to the founding fathers of Nagaland for constitutionally safeguarding the Nagas’ way of life, their land and resources,” the report added.
