SDPDB Pughoboto, DPDB Zunheboto hold monthly meetings

DIMAPUR — The Sub-Divisional Planning and Development Board (SDPDB) Pughoboto held its September meeting at the Ghatashi Village Council Hall, Zunheboto, on September 9, while the District Planning and Development Board (DPDB) Zunheboto convened its monthly meeting on Wednesday at the DC conference hall.

The SDPDB Pughoboto meeting was chaired by Extra Assistant Commissioner (EAC) Ghatashi, Yitachu Thur, and attended by SDPDB members, representatives from the Ghatashi Area Town Council (GATC), village GBs, and members of the public, according to a DIPR report.

One of the major highlights of the meeting was the approval of a proposal to establish an Information Technology (IT) Department at the Pughoboto Sub-Division.

Also read: District Water and Sanitation Mission Committee meeting held in Kiphire

The board also deliberated on fostering inter-departmental cooperation and team spirit through sports. As a result, an Inter-Departmental Sports Meet was proposed, with EAC headquarters nominated as the convenor and members including SDPO, SDAO, BDO, and JSCO forming the organising committee.

The meeting also discussed a community initiative proposed by Ghokimi village – the organisation of an Organic Ground Nut (Khodam) Festival in November. While the board appreciated the idea, it noted technical constraints that prevented SDPDB from offering official support at this time. However, it clarified that it has no objection if the village proceeds with the festival independently.

A matter of concern raised during the meeting was the damage caused by wild elephants to agricultural crops and properties in the Asukiqa area. The administration confirmed the verification of the damage and reported that the matter had been forwarded to the district forest officer (DFO) Zunheboto. The DFO has since informed that the case has been referred to the wildlife warden in Dimapur, and the administration is awaiting further updates.

In recognition of exemplary farming practices, MLA Dr. Sukhato A Sema distributed five automatic sprayer machines to five of the best-performing farmers in the region. He expressed his continued support and encouragement to farmers and further promised to distribute five more machines in the next SDPDB meeting.

Addressing infrastructure concerns, the MLA expressed strong displeasure at contractors for failing to maintain standards under the Economic Importance (EI) Road Project. He urged village leaders and the public not to leave contractors unsupervised but to actively monitor and ensure quality execution of works.

He stressed the need for collective responsibility in ensuring the quality and longevity of infrastructure projects. He also expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Dr. Neiphiu Rio, acknowledging his leadership under which Pughoboto is seeing renewed road development and progress.

The day also saw the inauguration of a newly constructed concrete road and drainage system under the Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAAGY) of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs at Ghatashi.

Dr. Sukhato also conducted an inspection visit to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) Ghatashi as part of his ongoing efforts to assess and improve healthcare infrastructure in the region.

During his visit, Dr. Sukhato interacted directly with the medical staff and support personnel to understand their challenges and address their concerns. One of the major issues raised was the absence of a dedicated doctors’ quarter, which has been a longstanding concern impacting staff retention and service efficiency.

He assured the staff that their grievances have been noted and emphasised the importance of a well-functioning PHC in ensuring accessible healthcare for the local population.

In his address, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Tiameren Chang urged all village council chairmen to actively assist and cooperate with government officers and departments. He emphasised that such cooperation is essential for effective service delivery that benefits the general public.

The DPDB Zunheboto meeting was chaired by Deputy Commissioner and Vice Chairman of DPDB Dharam Raj. During the meeting, the proposal for correction of the spelling of Sütsa, earlier written as Sütsah, as recommended by the Sumi Literature Board, was discussed. Chairman of the Board, Vihoshe Muru, explained the significance of the change.

As chairman of the District Sports Council, the DC announced that the annual Inter-Departmental Sports Week, which has been organised since 2010, will be held in the second week of October. He appealed to all heads of departments under Zunheboto district to attend the sports week without fail.

Later, the DC discussed various district-related issues with the members, urging departments to bring innovative ideas to improve governance in the district. He also highlighted the issue of stray cattle and deliberated on corrective measures to prevent them from entering populated areas.