Nagaland, today, stands at the cusp of history: Governor P.B Acharya

January 26, 2018 495 Views No Comment

Governor of Nagaland, P.B Acharya, on the occasion of the 69th Anniversary of Republic greeted the people of Nagaland on 26th January, 2018 at Nagaland Secretariat Plaza, Kohima.

Addressing the gathering, the Governor lauded the foresight and statesmanship of the founding fathers and architects of our nation and also saluted the freedom fighters and martyrs, who made the supreme sacrifices for the unity and integrity of our nation. He said Nagaland, today, stands at the cusp of history and the intense desire of the people of Nagaland has been for a final settlement of the Naga political issue.

Over the years, the state government, the NNPGs, the Churches, Civil societies and the NGOs have been trying their best to facilitate the resolution of the Naga Political issue.

He also appealed to all the political parties and people at large to maintain peace, dignity and decorum during the election campaign so as to ensure smooth and peaceful conduct of elections. Those engaged in election duty should discharge their duties with diligence and dedication, he said. He also expressed his happiness that Nagaland Churches, NGOs and Civil Societies have come out with campaigns for ‘Clean Election’ in all seriousness.

Nagaland is a young State with almost 60% of the population below the age of 25 as such the youth of Nagaland are the pride of the country. He said people were inspired by the legendary Dr. T. Ao, the doctor-sportsperson who was the first captain of our national football team after Independence and led Indian team in the London Olympics of 1948. He further said that on 28th January this year, the state would be celebrating his birth centenary and it is indeed a proud moment for all of us. Jawans and officers of Naga regiment have done the nation proud – be it at Kargil War or fighting naxals in difficult parts of the country, the Governor added.

There are many more talented and spirited Naga boys and girls – from music to fashion to crafts to social work – who are making the Nation proud with their accomplishments. He mentioned that development and connectivity is critical for helping Nagaland to catch up with mainland States in terms of economic development. Road connectivity along with Rail connectivity for Kohima and improved air connectivity can transform the connectivity for the State.

Stressing on the importance of development projects, an essential prerequisite is creation of a congenial atmosphere. Implementation of GST by Nagaland along with the rest of the country on July 1, 2017 has been a landmark. On tourism sector, Nagaland has the potential to be an attractive tourist destination offering a unique blend of heritage and culture to the travelers in search of nature, music and cultural tourism.

An important issue that needs our attention today is Climate Change as we are all aware of the heavy rains experienced this year which resulted in flooding in Dimapur as also loss of lives and damage to physical infrastructure. In order to enhance the resilience of farmers to climate change and to increase household agricultural income of farmers, Department of Agriculture is implementing a World Bank assisted project – Fostering Climate Resilient Upland Farming Systems in the North East (FOCUS) in partnership with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

The Governor said that the project seeks to increase the environmental sustainability and profitability of the farming systems practiced by the highland farmers of Nagaland. Forest Department is also implementing Nagaland Forest Management Project (NFMP) with funding from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) with an objective to improve forest ecosystem and support income generation by rehabilitation of Jhum area and provision of livelihood support, thereby contributing to sustainable forest and environmental conservation and livelihood improvement.

With an objective to provide a better quality of life for ourselves and future generations, we need to come together to address the challenges facing us. He also congratulated the people of Nagaland for participating enthusiastically in various welfare projects. He earnestly appealed to the Universities and educational institutions to make skill education an integral part of curriculum, so as to develop our youth into entrepreneurs so that our youth become job givers and not job seekers.

DIPR