Dimapur, April 25 (EMN): The governor of Nagaland, PB Acharya, has suggested leaving aside funds from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to be used for water conservation. The governor felt that the fund dispensation would be of help during monsoon seasons in that it would 'save villages from water shortage' besides boosting agricultural production.
The statement was contained in an update from Raj Bhavan on Wednesday. Acharaya was stated to have referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking Panchayat establishments across the country to conserve rainwater and that they spend MNREGS funds for water conservation.
"Governor Acharya stated that harvesting rainwater was the need of the hour and making the switch to an eco friendly rainwater harvesting system is neither complicated nor time consuming and will result in a wide range of benefits for rural areas," the Raj Bhavan update stated.
The governor has urged "vibrant manpower" institutions and organisations such as universities, the Northeast East Zone Cultural Centre, and the scouts and guides, the Red Cross, and ex-servicemen associations among others, to work with the village development boards (VDB) in said regard.
Further, Acharya has lauded the chief minister of Nagaland Neiphiu Rio for 'spelling series of measures' during an address at the VDB and village council conference on April 24 in Kohima. The governor is said to have "valued suggestion" of the chief minister on the matter of penalising "non-performing VDBs for slow progress and poor project implementation" while rewarding "performing VDBs."
"Transparency and accountability should be maintained for proper development and economic transformation of all villages in the state," the Raj Bhavan handout stated.
Also, Acharya appreciated the decision to call back government employees from the boards 'as the literary percentage of the state at 78.55% indicated that all the 1238 villages should have at least one non-government employee who is educated and can execute the role.' He has called the VDB a role model for local self-governance and community participation.
'This is the foundation for a vibrant democracy,' he was stated to have added.
