The District Planning & Development Board meeting, Zunheboto was held at the Deputy Commissioner’s Conference Hall, Zunheboto on November 13, under the chairmanship of the Deputy Commissioner Zunheboto, Dharam Raj, IAS.

The meeting began with a welcome address by the Deputy Commissioner and review of the previous meeting minutes, and the action taken reports such as – Successful conduct of the Inter-Departmental Tournament in the district, and correction of the spelling “Sütsa,” which was earlier spelled as “Sütsah,” as received from the Sumi Literature Board. The correction has been forwarded to the concerned department.

The meeting then proceeded with a discussion on the adoption of the National Highways Act, 1956 (amended in 2017), which came into force on August 1, 2017. The deliberation on the adoption of the National Highways Act was the major agenda discussed in the meeting. The Deputy Commissioner highlighted that the new Act provides up to four times higher compensation to landowners compared to the previous Act.

Under Article 371(A), the State Government currently acquires land on behalf of the Central Government. However, if the new Act is adopted, the Centre will directly acquire land, ensuring greater transparency and efficiency in the process. To facilitate this, the Deputy Commissioner invited discussions with tribal bodies to reach a consensus before forwarding the matter to the concerned authorities.

The members discussed both the merits and demerits of the proposal. The members also discussed on promoting transparency and efficiency in land acquisition; increasing compensation rates for landowners; and ensuring faster and more effective construction of National Highways.

The Board also emphasized the need for proper awareness campaigns to educate the public about the provisions of the new Act.

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The Deputy Commissioner stressed that the purpose of the discussion was to educate and sensitize the people on the importance of embracing change for progress and development. He urged everyone to adopt a positive mindset towards new reforms that aim to benefit society as a whole.

The meeting concluded with closing remarks by the Deputy Commissioner.

Longleng:

The District Planning & Development Board (DPDB) Longleng convened its monthly meeting at the DPDB Hall, Longleng on November 13. The meeting was chaired by Deputy Commissioner, Longleng, W Manpai Phom, who also welcomed all the members present in the meeting.

The meeting commenced by reviewing the minutes of the previous DPDB meeting and bringing up the agendas bought up by different departments. Addressing the agenda, the DAO (Agri.) on behalf of the Agri. & allied Committee informed that the actions of the new schemes will start from the next financial year. However the house discussed about the submission of the report of the action plan in the next meeting. The house also resolved to include the Water Resources Department in the Allied Committee.

The other agenda discussed was DPDB cum annual picnic, where the SDO (C) informed about the date and venue for the DPDB cum annual picnic and the house agreed to have a gift exchange. The house also resolved to contribute for Christmas decorations in the street of Longleng Town. The board also approved the proposal for the verification committee under LADP 2025 – 26 for 49th A/C, Tamlu and 50th A/C, Longleng.

The board also deliberated on the 1st Edition of Taro Festival in Pongo Village. The Horticulture officer informed the house about the Taro Festival to be held on December 5 and 6 in collaboration with the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland. The organising committee member from Pongo Village also briefed about the program. The DC also urged the Agri. & Allied department to extend their co-operation during this event and invited all the HoDs to participate in the festival.

Nothongol Kera, Executive Engineer of the Public Health Engineering Department, Longleng Division delivered a detailed PowerPoint presentation about the department’s activities in the district. He also outlined the department’s initiatives in various villages of Longleng.