Understanding Local Self Governance in Nagaland

October 10, 2017 26883 Views No Comment

through a resolution at a meeting resolved to add four feet of land on each side of the road. The completed streets would measure 31 feet, said Chuchuyimpang VC Chairman, Temsumoa Imsong.

“We really appreciate the Chuchuyimpang villagers for wholeheartedly cooperating with the Village Council and the VDB in this road widening works. In a time when people are not will to even part with an inch of land, the villagers are willingly pushing back their houses and fence walls so that the roads can be widened,” said the CVC Chairman, “There is no complaints from any quarters and there is no claim for land compensation since this initiative is meant for the benefit of the whole villagers, and the citizens of this village understand that.”

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As one can see, the primary objective of the VDBs was to achieve decentralized planning through the active and direct involvement of the community. The funds provided to the VDBs are ‘untied’ funds but unfortunately the guidelines for the schemes themselves become bottlenecks. Interpretations of the model schemes provided in the guidelines are not only restricting factors but are sometimes taken advantage of by officials who can influence Village Development Boards in selection/approval of schemes.

Schemes undertaken by Village Development Boards range from school buildings (including repairs), roads (including approach roads, culverts, bridges, footpaths etc), community halls, way-side amenities, rest houses, wells, electrification of houses, rural housing, farming and orchard development, plantations and fisheries, dairy and piggery units, marketing sheds and haats, purchase of buses, trucks, power tillers and even establishment of grocery shops. VDBs however need to diversify their activities from mere infrastructure creation to production, income generation and even knowledge creation.