Mrs. Lolano Khuvung
DIPR, Kohima, Nagaland
The 1st VDB in Nagaland was formed in Ketsapo village by the then D.C. Phek, Padmashree A.M. Gokhale, in the year 1976 on experimental basis. Based on the rich social capital of the Nagas, specially the heritage of a strong community life, the concept did not take long to take roots in other districts, evoking spontaneous response from the people. Thus, the institution of VDB was implemented all over Nagaland in the year 1980, with the enactment of Village Development Board Model Rules.
Village Development Boards (VDBs) are basically constituted through democratic elections, with some cases of selection and nomination. VDBs in all the village functions under the Village Councils (VCs) a traditional council in existence. The council have wide powers in terms of general administration of the village and assistance to the Govt. in matters of law and order. The VCs has transferred to the VDBs, the powers conferred on them (VCs) for the purpose of formulation of plans and implementation of developmental programmes. Today, the state has as many as 1,083 VDBs covering 2,16,503 households. Every recognized Village Development Schemes through Village Community.
VDBs, the unique institution in our state are the grass-root level Developmental Institutions and are responsible for implementation of all programmes/schemes both under State Plan and Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) under Rural Development (R.D.) department, for the benefit of the entire community. The schemes are selected and implemented by the respective VDBs in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of R.D. and R.D. of the State Government.
The main objective of all the programmes is to alleviate poverty and to improve the economic and social living standards of the rural poor, through employment generation and infrastructural development programmes.
Retrospecting Nagaland VDBs activities during the past 25 years, can candidly say that the degree of VDB performance is not uniformed as some VDBs have developed into self-sustaining or even surplus dynamic and vibrant bodies. On the other extreme, some the VDBs have not been able to develop or achieve satisfactory performance. However, there is no denying the fact that there has certainly been a facelift in the rural economic scenario of the state, during the course of the past 25 years.
Implementation of a particular scheme has definitely rendered certain amount of benefit and services to the villagers. The VDBs has been playing significant roles at the grass-root levels by translating the policies and programmes of the Govt. into reality.
(a) Swarn Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojona (SGSY) (b) Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojona (SGRY) (c) Indra Awa Yojona (IAY) (d) Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) are the Centrally Sponsored programmes while State Programme includes (a) Grant-in-Aid to VDB (GIA) (b) Matching Cash Grant to VDB (MCG) (c) Post Office Time Deposit (POTD).
VDBs has been contributing their mite in mobilizing resources through Matching Cash Grant Scheme and the Post Office Time Deposit. The amount mobilized so far totals to a creditable Rs.10 crore under MCG and Rs.37.70 crore under POTD Schemes. Purchase of VDB buses under Grant-in-aid has been one of the most successful activity implemented by some VDBs. It has not only created income generation to the VDBs, but the buses supplement the public transportation system. People living in the remote rural areas are well connected with the urban areas. All in all VDBs has brought a revolutionary change in the field of transport and communication. Besides, it has created infrastructural facilities like schools, community halls, link roads, commercial buildings, marketing sheds, drinking water and many income generating activities for the upliftment of the socio-economic conditions of the rural poor in different villages.
In the 1980’s most of the houses were made with thatch grass. However, with the launching of the Rural Housing Scheme, (IAY) most of the houses in the rural areas are now covered with CGI sheet roofing materials. Under this scheme, the poorest of the poor and villagers living under BPL (Below Poverty Line) are given preference, and in order to make the system transparent, the beneficiaries are selected by the VDB members. As of today, the scheme has covered about 100% of the total house-holds under BPL programme, in several villages.
The Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India has launched a rural self employment programme called Swarn Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojona (SGSY) to bring a paradigm shift in development process by focusing on mobilization of rural poor in Self Help Groups (SHG) their capacity building, training for taking up different economic activities, credit linkage, infrastructure development, technological services and marketing supports as important elements of development strategy.
Some of the Nagaland VDBs activities implemented under this programme are handicraft, marketing sheds, mushroom cultivation, vermo compost production, poultry rearing etc. undertaken by SHGs. Construction of irrigation channel, commercial building marketing sheds are some of the activities taken up by some VDBs in Nagaland under SGRY programme. In the light of the active initiative taken up by the VDBs under these programmes, there is definitely a ray of hope for better quality of life among the rural people.
Earlier, VDBs projects focused mainly on infrastructural development with more emphasis on community oriented schemes. However, of late VDBs invests in various income generating schemes and economically productive activities in order to improve the economy of the poor villagers.
Rapid rural development has taken place in every sphere of life through the VDBs and the Government is relying upon the sincerity, integrity and selfless service of the VDBs. Infact, the success of VDBs has further initiated the process of communitization, which is generating global interests.
Recognising the success of the VDBs, the State Govt. has decided to revise the Grant-in-aid for VDBs, from Rs.12.51 crore to Rs.17.62 crore and thereafter to Rs.19.58 crore. Likewise, house-hold grant has been increased from Rs.750/- to Rs.800/- during 2004 and the latest innovative venture is the declaration of 25 VDBs in the state as “Financial Intermediaries”, directly involving them in the operation of credit flow.
VDBs has immensely contributed towards the development of the society and has played a positive role, by exemplifying the inherent strength of the Nagas, which is community participation in all grass-root leveel activities and catering to the common need of the state’s rural population. The role of VDBs in our state has been widely recognized and appreciated all over the country.
Looking back 25 years down memory lane, a lot has been done by the VDBs, yet a lot more needs to be done in the days ahead, in order to achieve the objective of poverty alleviation and to transform the rural areas from total dependence to a self reliant economy. Complacency, over-dependence, lack of required motivation and interest and lack of probity are some of the drawbacks of the VDBs.
To prove empowerment of the people in grass-root planning, it should formulate proper strategy for sound and proper management of the human resources. Funds provided for implementation of income generating schemes and other viable shemes has to be judiciously utilized, to transform the rural areas into self-reliant economy. Each of the 1083 VDBs must look forward to act as financial intermediaries for managing their own rural credit and loan activities.
Further, VDBs needs serious retrospective assessment for exploitation of the economic potentialities of our villages and a spirit of competitiveness must exists amongst the VDBs. The decision of Rural Development department to bring out a comprehensive incentive scheme for rewarding the performing VDBs and penalizing the non-performing ones will go a long way in creating awareness to the VDBs, for proper implementation of various programmes/schemes.
As the VDBs, march ahead with the objective of improving the economic and social living standards of the rural poor, all concerned government functionaries associated with VDB activities, should resolve to show more enthusiasm and dedication, so that the institution of VDB becomes effective catalysts for accelerated development of the rural areas, thereby enabling Nagaland to become a vibrant and self reliant State in the years to come.
