Morung Express News
Dimapur | March 5
THE GOVERNMENT of Nagaland taking further its communitisation-based concept of micro-financing in a big way, has during a meeting of the State Planning Board held on February 9 last approved of Rs 5 crores and 40 Lakhs to be granted to Village Development Boards (VDBs) in Nagaland to take up various community-based programmes with pronounced emphasis on small-scale industries. This earmarked assistance has been approved for the next fiscal year.
According to sources, Rs 1 Lakh each would be given to 540 or so VDBs out of the 1500 VDBs or so in Nagaland. These 540 VDBs would be chosen on the basis of their track records and “who really performed in their duties efficiently and successfully implemented their community development programmes.”
The Government approved the amount, slated for the next fiscal year 2006-2007 and further modifications were still yet to be effected on the sanction. Nevertheless, the amount earmarked would remain more or less the same.
Lalhuma, Chief Secretary, Government of Nagaland confirmed that the government had approved the community-based scheme recently. “Rupees one lakh would be given to each of 540 VDBs who have a good track record. The government is strengthening VDBs and for the matter, it has taken up micro-financing in a big way. 540 VDBs will be covered under micro-financing” the Chief Secretary said adding that the modalities were approved by the State’s Finance Planning Board. The objective was to enable Village Development Boards to be well-organized and efficient organisms of development, Lalhuma said. He also informed that as part of the package the Government of Nagaland had enhanced grant-in-aid of the VDBs with grant disbursement equivalent to Rs 900 per house. The assessment would, relatively, be based on the number of houses that pays taxes to the government or proportionate to taxes being paid.
