‘Due to low agricultural hands, Nagaland imports rice from outside’

While the state of Nagaland is experiencing a decrease in the farming population ‘there is increase in productivity due to technological intervention,’ a local administrator of Dimapur said on Tuesday. The official, Deputy Commissioner of Dimapur Kesonyu Yhome, said the decrease in the farming population is one of the reason ‘for which we import paddy from other states.’

Yhome was addressing a gathering of farmers during an event recently.

An agricultural event called the ‘Farmers’ Field Day’, organized under the National Food Security Mission was conducted by the District Agriculture Office of Dimapur in Singrijan village on November 17.

The deputy commissioner of Dimapur, Kesonyu Yhome, attended the event as the guest of honor. In his speech, Yhome exhorted the farming community of Singrijan village to follow and adopt new farming techniques taught to them by the Agriculture department. That way, he said, the farmers can ‘achieve higher yield’ in agricultural production.

He reminded that the forefathers of the Naga people had ‘no luxuries of life in the past, yet survived through their hard work.’ Observing that although there had been a decrease in the farming population in every corner of the world, ‘there is increase in productivity due to technological intervention,’ the administrator told the gathering.

"In our state the farming population is decreasing so also the productivity of yield and for which we import paddy from other states", he regretted. Yhome asked the gathering of farmers to ponder on the issue.

Further, he asked the gathering to take full advantage of the many logistic supports extended to them by the Agriculture department and to work in unity as far as agriculture activity is concerned so as to raise their standard of living. "The better you perform, the more support from the government will be given", he maintained.

Delivering the keynote address, the deputy director of the Agriculture department, Sosangmar termed Farmers’ Field Day as a special occasion for the farming community where ‘experiences and difficulties could be shared.’

"Without the Field Day, the mandate of NFSN will not be successful', he remarked. When farmers show interest, it becomes an integrated approach because all the agriculture and allied departments step forward to help, he asserted. He called ‘dynamism of farmers’ as a key factor toward paving ‘many other ways for the benefit of farming community.’ "Nagaland is self sufficient in all other food grains besides paddy where there is deficit of 33%", Sosangmar said.

Further reminding that food security as the ‘vision’ of the Agriculture department, he said, "We cannot increase the land but can work towards higher yield to fulfill our vision with technological intervention."

Kesonyu Yhome addressing farmer during an agriculture event in Dimapur on Tuesday, November 17. An agricultural event called the ‘Farmers’ Field Day’, organized under the National Food Security Mission was conducted by the District Agriculture Office of Dimapur in Singrijan village on said date. 

The APP of Dimapur, L Mongsanger, who gave a brief report about the National Food Security Mission said that the program had made significant progress in Dimapur district in terms of production and productivity of rice, acceptance and adoption of new production technologies and also new implements and machineries.

He also informed that under Dimapur district, the National Food Security Mission was being implemented in 35 clusters covering four blocks. Mongsanger was of the view that the program had contributed significantly in accelerating food grains production in the district. He mentioned that Singrijan village was one of the best-performing villages and for which Farmers Field Day was being conducted in the village.

A progressive farmer from Singrijan village, Tik Bahadur, spoke during the event. While sharing his experiences with the National Food Security Mission, Bahadur said that the traditional methods of farming and farming with technological intervention had vast differences in terms of productivity. The farmer said that with the application of line transplanting techniques his yield of paddy during the previous year cultivated in one bigha was 1, 200 kilograms. However, he said, cultivating the same area ‘with traditional modes of farming,’ the yield was 720 kilograms only.

Another progressive farmer from Shozukhu village, Hotoshe Sumi, lauded the Agriculture department for training the farmers and for providing logistic support to the farming community.

During the event, agriculture officer Ronchamo Kikon gave a review of yield. He said that crop cutting experiments were a regular feature for specific crops, ‘to observe the efficacy and supremacy of line transplantation and also to assess yield per hectare.’

In the second session, agriculture officer Rokovotsole demonstrated seeds treatment for winter crops and another agriculture officer Wochamo distributed winter crop seeds, micro nutrients, and bio-fertilizers to the farmers.

National Food Security Mission

National Food Security Mission is a Central Scheme of the government of India that was launched in 2007 for 5 years to increase production and productivity of wheat, rice and pulses on a sustainable basis so as to ensure food security of the country.

The aim is to bridge the yield gap in respect of these crops through dissemination of improved technologies and farm management practices.

Current Status

The targets of 11th five year exceeded and it was extended to 12th five year plan in 2012. In the 12th Plan, NFSM aims at raising the food grain production by 25 million tones. Besides rice, wheat and pulses, NFSM proposes to cover coarse cereals and fodder crops during the 12th plan period (2012-17). 11th plan covered 15 states under NFSM-Rice, 9 states under NFSM-Wheat and 16 States under NFSM Wheat.

Hence, all states were not covered during 11th plan for NFSM. 12th plan aims to cover all the states of India with focus on low productive areas to bridge the yield gaps for additional production while stability in high production areas would be achieved through promotion of conservation agriculture practices.

Central government allocated over Rs 1,800 crore to states under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) in 2012 to raise food grains output by 25 million tones in the 12th Five Year Plan period as the mission was extended with beyond expected output during XI the five year plan. Uttar Pradesh got the maximum amount at Rs 276.9 crore, followed by Madhya Pradesh Rs 226.87 crore and Maharashtra Rs 196 crore.

(Al Ngullie)

Tweet

Police corruption: Kyong students want action against Home ministers

Students of the Kyong Naga community have expressed support to the legal action that the Chakhesang Students’ Union has broached in the ongoing fight against corrupt appointments in the state government’s tainted Home department.

However, the Kyong organization has appealed to the Chakhesang organization to demand investigations from the time of former Home Minister Thenucho. Under his tenure as a Home minister from 2005, more than 1, 700 were directly appointed by him, the KSU said on Tuesday. “…if CSU file a PIL it should be from 2005, otherwise, it will be nothing but nepotism and tribalism.”

The Kyong Naga Students (KSU) has requested the Chakhesang organization not to single out a particular Home minister but all ministers from the past tenures under whom illegal appointments have been made.

The KSU issued a statement on Tuesday, November 17, and enclosed scanned images of purportedly illegal appointments made under former Home ministers: Thenucho, Imkong Imchen, G Kaito, and current Home Minister Y Patton.

Mentioned in correspondence to the Home ministers were the director generals of police during the politicians’ tenure in said position: Changkija, Z Kire, O Alem and B Kezo.

Once thought to be a dignified and trustworthy department, the Nagaland police department of the state is now mired in allegations of illegal appointments or ‘backdoor’ appointments.  S far, the government remains silent. 

Almost all the major departments of the government of Nagaland are mired in charges of corruption ranging from financial mismanagement to illegal appointments but the state continues to remain silent. In the slow, but growing outrage against the inaction, various students’ unions in the state, notably the Chakhesang and the Kyong students–have begun to exert pressure.

“The Kyong Students’ Union stands behind the CSU in their fight against backdoor appointment. However, the stand of CSU pointing out only 1 (one) department appears to be driven by vested interest and tribalism attitude,” the Kyong students said.

The KSU stated: “If this is a social cause and not driven by nepotism and tribalism CSU will not given the cut off year as 2010 investigation. We all know that Thenucho, a Chakesang, was Home Minister from 2005 during whose tenure more than 1, 700 were directly appointed by him basing on felt, if CSU file a PIL it should be from 2005, otherwise, it will be nothing but nepotism and tribalism.”

“As per information collected from PHQ the figures shown below (see image) are the appointments made since 2005 through backdoor,” the KSU said, referring to the information, in the press release.

A scanned document the KSU issued on Tuesday, November 17, purports to show illegal appointments in the police department, corresponding to the police chiefs, DGPs, of the state and Home ministers ('HM') during whose tenure the appointments were allegedly made.

Days ago, the Chakhesang Students’ Union said it had decided to file a Public Interest Litigation after a 10-day ultimatum served on the state government to revoke all the illegal appointments in Home department expired.

The CSU said that the state government’s silence on the issue was enough to show that they were not interested to pay heed to such serious matter. An irate CSU had said that it had affirmed that the union would “in no-way entertain any discussion” on the matter and let the court to decide on the course of action.

The press release from the KSU was appended by KSU president Amos Odyuo, and general secretary T Phyopemo Kikon. 

Tweet

From Wokha to Longleng, to Peren, winged visitors return to new home

It’s been barely three years since the slaughter of this visitor stopped. The migrating bird aerial predator Amur Falcon has finally come to roost in Nagaland, from the forested areas of Doyang in Wokha district to Longleng district, and now in Intanki national park in Peren district.  

The forest and wildlife authorities of Peren district have informed on Tuesday that Amur Falcons have also reached the reserved forest. The first flock of the birds was said to have been sighted on October 19, eventually increasing to thousands.

The wildlife authorities are expecting numbers by the lakh and wildlife protection forces are said to be in place.   

“With the arrival of Amur falcons at Intanki National Park, armed forest protection force has intensified its duty in and around the park area for the safe roosting and passage of the migratory birds to its destination,” the Wildlife Warden of Dimapur, K Caroline, stated in the press release.

“The first flock of Amur Falcon in the National Park was sighted on the 19th of October 2015. The number has increased by the thousands since then and is expected to reach lakhs in a few days time,” the press release said.

The Dimapur division remarked that the numbers of falcons in the area this year “far exceeds that of last year’s.” The roosting area being undisturbed, has become an ideal location for bird watchers and a safe haven for the bird, Caroline stated.

Amur Falcons flock by the thousands on a tree at Intangki National park in Peren district. This year too, at least a million of the small aerial predator have already arrived in Wokha district, Longleng and now Peren. 

“Awareness (sic) has been created in the fringe villages of the National Park as well as other districts of the state in collaboration with the Territorial Division. This has received a positive response for collective protection and conservation of the Amur falcon during its stay in the Park area,” she added.

The Amur falcon (Falco amurensis) is a small raptor of the falcon family. It breeds in south-eastern Siberia and Northern China before migrating in large flocks across India and over the Arabian Sea to winter in Southern Africa.

It was earlier treated as a subspecies of the red-footed falcon (Falco vespertinus) and known as the eastern red-footed falcon. Males are dark grey with reddish brown thighs and under-tail coverts; reddish orange eye-ring, cere, and feet. Females are duller above with dark scaly markings on white underparts, an orange eye ring, cere, and legs. Only a pale wash of rufous is visible on their thighs and undertail coverts.

Their diet consists mainly of insects such as termites and during migration over the sea. They are thought to feed on migrating dragonflies. The route that they take from Africa back to their breeding grounds is as yet unclear.

The wide breeding range and large population size of the Amur falcon have led to the species being assessed as being of least concern.

The flocking behavior during migration and the density at which they occur however expose them to hunting and other threats. During their migration from their breeding area to the winter quarters they are plump and are hunted for food in parts of northeastern India as well as in eastern Africa.

In 2012, mass trapping and capture of migrating Amur falcons in Nagaland (India) was reported in the media and a successful campaign was begun to prevent their killing. As part of this campaign, three birds were fitted with 5 gm satellite transmitters that allowed them to be tracked during their migration.

Besides, Doyang hydro and now Peren, a population of the birds have been roosting in as far as Longleng district. Far from the media attention that the Doyang’s forested areas received since the migratory birds flew into spotlight two years ago, there is another village community in Nagaland that has been working for wildlife and forest conservation without assistance, help, or media attention.

Amur Falcons teem a tree  in Intakngki National Park. 

A small community in Longleng district has been doing its bit in ensuring that visiting Amur Falcons do not become food or an economic tool. The area in question is in Longleng district where the aerial predators have flown into the welcoming arms of wildlife lovers and local communities who know what their value is.

A batch of Amur Falcons has arrived in Longleng district, in Yaongyimchen Community Bio-Diversity Conservation Area on October 12. The district’s administration informed this in a press release on Wednesday. The administration said that the information is based on reports received from the convener of a local committee working for conservation of wildlife and forest in Yaongyimchen village and adjoining areas.

Yaongyimchen Community Bio-Diversity Conservation Area was initiated in the year 2010 by the villagers of Yaongyimchen, Alayong and Sanglu, of the district. “It is reported that Amur Falcon has been roosting in this conservation area and nearby areas since 2010. With the active initiatives of Shri. Y. Nuklu Phom, Executive Secretary, Phom Baptist Church Association and Convenor, LENSACHENLOK, the committee have been working tirelessly without sponsors from any source for protection of Amur falcon in this area,” the administration has said.

(Al Ngullie)

Tweet

Nagaland’s Aaadhar coverage makes it to 63%

Al Ngullie

The reach of the Aadhaar in Nagaland has reached 63%, the ministry of information technology has said. Till date about 93 percent of adult residents in India have the unique identity facility, the Aadhaar, on ‘their own volition,’ according to the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology.

Delhi leads the states in the country with the highest coverage, with 128%, followed by Himachal Pradesh at 111%. The ministry issued a statement on October 30 offering updates about the unique identity program.

Till now, it is found that 93 per cent of the adult residents in India voluntarily acquired and possess Unique Identity Aadhaar. To achieve universal Aadhaar coverage, the UIDAI is now focusing on ‘child enrolment, besides mopping up remaining persons,’ the government said.

UIDAI having issued first Aadhaar number on 29th September 2010, has till date generated more than 92.68 crore Aadhaar in just five years time.

This success has been possible due to people’s voluntary quest to empower themselves with the unique identity that is portable and authenticable online anywhere, anytime on a digital platform. It has been established in no uncertain terms that nobody can fake anybody’s Aadhaar established identity on authentication.

Hence, the targeted delivery of direct benefits under various welfare schemes and programmes became a dream come true with Aadhaar proving itself as a strategic policy tool for social and financial inclusion, increasing convenience and promoting hassle-free people-centric governance.

Aadhaar coverage in India: States

Out of the 24 states and union territories where UIDAI has been mandated to enroll and issue Aadhaar numbers, it is found that 16 states/UTs have more than 100 per cent adult population saturation with Delhi on the top with 128% followed by Himachal Pradesh (111%), Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (111%), Punjab (110%), Kerala and Haryana (109 % each), Chandigarh and Sikkim (107% each), Jharkhand, Goa and Puducherry (106% each),Tripura (105 %), Rajasthan (103%), Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra (101%); 5 states/UTs have above 90 per cent adult saturation with Andaman and Nicobar Islands (97%), Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh (96% each), Uttarakhand (93%) and Uttar Pradesh (91%); and 3 states have above 80 per cent adult population saturation with Gujarat (89%), Daman and Diu (82%) and Bihar (80%). In all in States/UTs assigned for the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), Aadhaar saturation among adult population is 98 per cent.

In other 12 Delhi on the top with 128% followed by Himachal Pradesh (111%), which are being covered by RGI for enrolment has an overall 76 per cent saturation with Lakshadweep (109%), Dadra and Nagar Haveli (103%), West Bengal (89%), Odisha and Tamil Nadu (88% each), Manipur (65%), Nagaland and Jammu & Kashmir (63% each), Arunachal Pradesh (50%) and Mizoram (46%). In two of the RGI States namely Assam and Meghalaya, there are some local issues which have resulted in low saturation.

It may be pertinent to mention here that there are 18 Delhi on the top with 128% followed by Himachal Pradesh (111%), in total having more than 100 per cent Aadhaar adult population saturation. One may wonder as to how more than 100 per cent Aadhaar can be generated in a state or union territory.

That is due to the fact that the population figures are based on the Census of 2011, while Aadhaar are generated to the real population which has increased by 2015. That is, the base (divider) is taken as the population based on 2011 census.

Migratory population from other states could also enroll in these States/UTs with more than 100 per cent Aadhaar adult population saturation. Actually, Aadhaar is a unique lifelong identity, which is available free of cost and any individual irrespective of age and gender and who is a resident in India and satisfies the verification process laid down by the UIDAI, can enroll for Aadhaar on a voluntary basis anywhere in the country.

Tweet