We all know that, the Village Development Board was born and installed in 1980’s and brought up with great care under the then Chief Secretary of Nagaland Shri. Gokhale IAS.
The VDB has done a magnitude of service to the people of Nagaland in the rural sector. As such, due to introduction of this VDB by the Government of Nagaland, it plays vital role as an educational institution for the illiterate/ignorant and irresponsible person to become important/literate/responsible and self reliant.
This is because most of the village people has been one time VDB Secretary, or VDB Members, through which they have knowledge and learnt how to deal and perform village developmental works and banking system for the benefit of the general public as well as individuals.
In addition to that, the VDB plays a pivoted role in implementing the direction of the Government scheme, financial institution grants etc. As the VDB steadily grows in stature, the Government of Nagaland gives it, its due recognition by fully making it the implementing agency and to exhibit the work programmes such as: sanitation, water supply, construction of tube well, ring well, rural housing, community building, community transportation, construction of road, markets etc.
At the same time, the monetary banking with the VDB as the signatory has become mammoth structure in the bank linkage for any financial assistance from time to time as
The Government desires.
Slowly, the governance of the people migrated for self governance i.e. the Village Council and the VDB playing a pivotal role in linking the governance system of the rural people to the general mass and the Government.
As such, commoditization of the health centre, schools, water supply and electricity has taken up a major share of the burden from the shoulders of the state government and the Village Councils (with running of the order and regulations), while the VDB has acted the implementing agency in almost all the communitised villages.
Thereby, the governance of the state has come down to the grass-root level, where I still eve the state Government has to do lot more to improve upon the amenities to be :ended to the VDB’s in Nagaland to playa more major role in governance, development and economic upliftment of the people of the state.
LONG LIVE VDB !
Tali Pongener, General Secretary
Dimapur District VDS Association
