Nagaland CM addresses 30th regional conference on Good Governance Initiatives
Nagaland State Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio today stated that good governance is not an option for governments but a basic right for all citizens; and the government is duty bound to provide it. Rio was speaking at the inaugural session of the regional conference on Good Governance Initiatives held at Hotel Vivor, Kohima on October 10.
Organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India in collaboration with the Government of Nagaland, the 30th regional conference will be held from October 10-11 with participants from all the States of the NE. It aims to provide a common platform to share experiences in the formulation and implementation of best practices in good governance.
Delivering the inaugural address, Rio expressed that the sharing of experiences will provide delegates with an opportunity to learn from each other and evolve strategies to improve governance, while addressing key issues. Rio also highlighted the challenges in Nagaland with regard to good governance, especially in the area of technology. One challenge, according to the CM, is the limited outreach of banks in Nagaland.
“We still have several blocks that are unbanked. Similarly, while Digital India is the mantra all over the country, there are districts and blocks in Nagaland and other States of the NE that suffer from poor connectivity. In order to truly benefit from the mobile and banking revolution, we need to focus on improving connectivity and bank network,” said Rio.
Among the 14 ‘Aspirational’ districts in the NE, Kiphire is the only one from Nagaland. According to Rio, the major challenges for these ‘Aspirational’ districts are physical connectivity and infrastructure. This physical distance, Rio viewed, also translates into a developmental gap.
The CM also reminded the delegates on the monsoon related catastrophe in Nagaland this year, of which Kiphire was one of the worst affected areas. The district was cut off from the State which led to increased costs in all aspects. Rio pointed out that those elements increased the cost of living and have a direct correlation with the prevalence of poverty and lack of development.
“We need to adopt the Aspirational District strategy to more backward areas and I would suggest the adoption of Aspirational Blocks to ensure that all poor and backward regions are targeted. This would help in pushing development indicators across the State and the region,” stated Rio.
The CM also opined that capacity building is a key requirement in the North East. With rising aspirations and expectations of citizens in terms of education, health, infrastructure or social sectors, Rio said the government needs to constantly learn and innovate in order to deliver better services.
He also requested the DARPG to introduce more training for officers of the State Governments to help them upgrade their skills.
With regard to the level of frustration and negativity in society vis-a-vis Government, he pointed out that the government must be seen as solving problems and ensuring access to clean air, potable water, good infrastructure and jobs for its citizens; while ensuring transparency to prevent allegations of nepotism and corruption.
KV Eapen, Secretary, Government of India, DARPG meanwhile briefed the delegates on the major activities and programs of the Department.
Apart from the Regional conferences, the Department also hosts the National Conference on e-governance annually which will be held in Jaipur this year. The Department is also currently engaged in a study to evaluate all the e-government services that are provided by various States.
Despite the announcement of such services in many states in India, Eapen pointed out that there has been no clear study to evaluate whether these services are actually being delivered to the common citizens.
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Quelle/Source: The Morung Express, 11.10.2018
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