Good governance is not an option but basic right of all citizens — Rio

Regional conference on good governance initiatives underway

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Oct. 10 (EMN): Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said at an event on Wednesday that it is the duty of the government to provide good governance to the people and that his government his government has taken up several steps to promote it in the state.

Speaking at the inaugural programme of the two-day 30th Regional Conference on ‘Good governance initiatives’ at Hotel Vivor on October 10, Rio expressed confidence that the delegates present at the event would learn from each other and come up with strategies to improve governance, ensure that the citizens get a better government for the citizens get, and the key issues facing people are addressed effectively and efficiently.

“In today’s age, good governance is not an option of governments; it is a basic right of all citizens and we are duty bound to provide it,” asserted the CM, adding that good governance is the top priority of the present day government.

Rio pointed out that the level of frustration and negativity in the society vis-a-vis government is a challenge today as the expectations of citizens are always higher than what government can deliver. He added that “very often, we in the government are so busy resolving our conflicts and overcoming the constraints that we lose sight of the basic objective of making things easier for citizens.”

Asserting “it’s not about us but about the citizens,” Rio said governments need to be more of an enabler rather than a regulator. He stated that clean and accountable government is a basic necessity and also emphasised on the need to make the systems transparent to prevent allegations of nepotism and corruption.

While stating that initiatives like Government eMarketplace (GeM) and e-tendering have helped address many these concerns, Rio underline on the need for the government to make adoption of these reliable and accountable systems as the norm.

Stressing on the need towards improving connectivity and bank network in this part of the country, Rio informed the delegations of the poor connectivity in many districts and limited outreach of banks wherein several blocks in the state are still without banking system. Also referring to one of the sessions on ‘Aspirational districts’ at the conference, the CM pointed out that there are 14 aspirational districts in the Northeast and most face challenges with regard to physical connectivity and infrastructure.

Making a special reference to Nagaland, he said the districts of Mon and Longleng fare low on development indices, and suggested on the need to adopt aspirational district strategy to more backward areas in this region to ensure that all poor and backward regions are targeted. This, he said would help in pushing development indicators across the state and the region. Rio also cited capacity building as another key requirement in the Northeast to deliver better services as the demand of the citizens for the best of services have risen over the years. He was of the view that states need to learn from each other, adopt the best practices and ensure that successful models are replicated.

At the same time, Rio asserted that focus should be given more on initiatives that are sustainable and that can be scaled up. He also expressed hope that the outcome of the conference will not only help the Northeastern states but also provide solutions and answers that can be replicated anywhere in the country.

Secretary, department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DAR&PG), K.V Eapen in his address noted that in the absence of any forum for exchange of ideas, information and best practices, most of the Northeast states are not aware and are oblivion of the many best practices that can be replicated in their respective states.

Nonetheless, he was optimistic that delegates from all the Northeastern states, and from Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Kerala will benefit and learn from each other through exchange of ideas and information.

The regional conference on ‘Good Governance initiatives’ was organised by the government of Nagaland in collaboration with the department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DAR&PG), Government of India with focus on capacity building/technology/best practices by aspirational districts. A total of seven technical sessions and panel discussions with eminent panellists were held during the two-day programme.

The conference is an effort to create a common platform to share experiences in the formulation and implementation of best practices in citizen-centric governance and improve public service delivery through e-Governance, transparent, accountable and citizen-friendly effective administration.

The valedictory programme will be held on October 11 at 12: 30 pm. Chief secretary, R. Binchilo Thong and additional secretary (DARPG), Vasudha Mishra will address the gathering at the function.