G Ikuto Zhimomi, along with officials from the LRD and
Khezhakeno villagers, on Tuesday.
DIMAPUR — The
Land Resources Department (LRD) conducted a community mobilisation programme at
Khezhakeno, the ancestral village of the Nagas in Phek district, on Tuesday
under the Prime Minister Krishi Sinchayee Yojana-Watershed Development
Component (PMKSY-WDC) 2.0.
The programme was held at the village council hall in
Khezhakeno, with G Ikuto Zhimomi, Advisor for the LRD, as the special guest,
according to an update.
Addressing the gathering during his maiden visit to the Naga
ancestral village, Zhimomi said history indicates that hundreds of years ago,
the Naga people migrated from Khezhakeno village, settled in various parts,
established new villages, and began to speak different languages.
Therefore, while the Naga people have their own distinct
tribes and dialects, they are one and should continue to uphold the unity of
the Nagas as a whole, he encouraged. He pleaded that, as one Naga, there should
be no fighting among them and no display of differences.
Remarking that the Naga forefathers were not under any
government yet managed to sustain themselves in all aspects, he acknowledged
that with the passage of time and the advent of modernity, villages and people
now require government support.
He encouraged the villagers to stand firm and continue
supporting the government of the day under the leadership of Chief Minister
Neiphiu Rio for overall development and progress. He also announced that the
LRD would undertake major watershed and spring shed projects in Khezhakeno.
LRD director Albert Ngullie, in his speech, asserted that
projects under the district project officer of Phek would be carried out with
full earnestness. He also mentioned that the department aims to bring economic
change and benefits to the village through coffee plantations in suitable areas
of Khezhakeno and nearby villages. This, he said, would help promote coffee
experiential tourism in the region.
In this regard, he appealed to the villagers to continue
supporting the department in making these initiatives a reality.
Commissioner and secretary of LRD, Kevekha Kevin Zehol,
while stating that this was the first initiative of the department since his
joining, expressed optimism that starting from the ancestral home of the Nagas
would be a good beginning towards reaching other areas of the state.
Zehol stated that the growth and development of the state
depend on the development of each individual and village.
During the visit, Zhimomi and those accompanying him visited
Tsotawo, a spirited flat stone of the ancestral Naga home, and also surveyed
the famous Chida Resort for potential developmental prospects.
