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Dr Neikiesalie Kire, fourth from left, with departmental officers during the release of a book by the Land Resources department at Kohima on August 18.[/caption]
Our Correspondent
Kohima, August 28 (EMN): The department of Land Resources has implemented at the cost of Rs 124.62 crore, 22 projects under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana-watershed component (PMKSY-WDC) during the year 2010-11. It covers 182 micro-watershed villages in an area of 83,082 hectares spreading over 11 districts of Nagaland.
Nagaland is said to be the only state in the country to have completed two batches of the PMKSY-WDC. Among the agriculture and allied departments, Land Res. is the first to establish a GIS cell. It has delineated 3541 micro-watershed covering the entire state.
This was informed at the culmination of batch-II projects of PMKSY-WDC organised by the department at the Capital Convention Centre in Kohima town Monday morning.
Minister for Public Works Department (roads and bridges) Dr Neikiesalie Kire was the chief guest of the event. Parliamentary Secretary for the department BS Nganlang was the guest of honour. Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar also attended the event.
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Dr. Neikiesalie Kire handing over the WDF to beneficiaries during the state-level watershed conference at the Capital Convention Centre at Kohima on August 28.[/caption]
Speaking during the occasion, Dr Kire expressed concern that ‘although Nagaland is an agrarian state, it is not self-sufficient till today.’ He attributed this to the people’s ‘laziness.’ He said ‘we have become too lazy’ and that people are only looking for subsidies without wanting to work.
The minister also read out a message on behalf of Chief Minister TR Zeliang. Although the state is an agrarian state with over 70% of the population engaged in agriculture, the minister said, food production was ‘grossly inadequate’; the state has had to depend on import of food grains, cereals and pulses alike, from other states.
The main reason for low productivity, the message stated, is ‘our reluctance to use scientific technologies and farm mechanisation.’ The chief minister expressed delight that the PMKSY had to a certain extent addressed the issue with the introduction of rubber, cardamom, tea, coffee etc. Through this programme, he claimed ‘many unemployed youths’ have been supported in establishing small scale entrepreneurship and other income-generating activities. He congratulated the department for taking up the challenge to uplift the less-privileged in the rural areas. He has hoped that it would continue to strive to bring desirable results from implementing central schemes even in the future.
Dr Kire released a book ‘LRD communique–a special edition’ and handed over the Watershed Development Fund (WDF) to beneficiaries.
Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar and Parliamentary Secretary BS Nganlang also spoke during the programme. Farmers from Rumensinyu village and Yongam village spoke of their experiences before and after the intervention of the department.
Speaking at the programme, Parliamentary Secretary BS Nganlang said he had seen ‘very dedicated and committed officials’ in the department during his short tenure in the department. The availability of land resources, with no excessive state control, he said, can ‘benefit us a lot if we can learn to dedicate our minds and utilize them to the fullest.’
‘Let us make the best use of the available resources and make ourselves self-sufficient,’ he said. Congratulating the department for successfully implementing the various schemes and also the success of the programme, he urged the department to engage in their ‘good’ works they have been doing.
Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar urged villagers to adopt the practice of crop diversification and develop resilient agriculture in line with the holistic approach of the department, to reduce the risk involved and suit the same to the market demand.
Maintaining that water availability was a problem facing most places in the state, he called for development of spring-shed water management projects to solve the problem especially during dry season. He later assured to work out plans for the future career of the officials in the department serving as fixed pay employees.
About PMKSY-WDC
The PMKSY-WDC, erstwhile Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), seeks to address land degradation by evolving integrated strategies for better and optimum utilisation of natural resources; restore ecological balance and protect the environment through reclamation of degraded land resources. These strategies indirectly create employment opportunities and promote overall economic development sustainably.
Offering an overview of the Nagaland Watershed, the department’s Director Hoto Yeptho informed that an amount of Rs 2,33,11,900 have been disbursed to beneficiaries in all the districts of the state.
Dimapur district has received the highest amount of WDF with Rs 29,90,000 followed by Kohima with Rs 28,60,000 and Wokha with Rs 24,00,853.
Yeptho also highlighted the physical achievement of activities under IWMP Batch II across the state.
