Advisor of Agriculture, Mhathung Yanthan, visited Old Aree village on February 12 as part of his public discourse program focused on community development and welfare.
During the visit, the advisor interacted with the villagers, reviewed various government departments and inaugurated projects, including a community hall and an agricultural product collection store.
He was accompanied by the Deputy Commissioner of Wokha, Vineet Kumar, along with heads of various departments (HODs). Yanthan explained that visit of HoDs to Aree village was intended to allow the community to express their concerns and learn about the various government schemes and plans available to them.
Several key issues were discussed and addressed during the program. For the Rural Development and MGNREGA schemes, job card-related concerns were resolved and in Health and Family Welfare department, staff irregularities were discussed, with assurances that staff would now be stationed regularly.
In the Education department, it was revealed that 48 students were enrolled at the Aree Government Primary School to which Yanthan urged the teachers to lead an enrolment drive so the school could be upgraded to a high school.
District Agriculture Officer informed that N Longidang, Humtsoe, and old Aree as has been identified as three aspiration villages and urged the formation of two additional self-help groups at old Aree village. Villagers were also encouraged to take advantage of benefits under the PM Kisan scheme.
Yanthan also inaugurated a community hall cum guest house at New Aree on the same day. He encouraged villagers to express their grievances openly and focus on collective community welfare rather than personal interests. He emphasized the importance of unity, balance, and inclusivity in building a stronger community.
Deputy Commissioner Vineet Kumar addressed the gathering, emphasizing resilience and hard work. He encouraged the villagers to not let the remoteness of their location hinder their ambitions.
Yanthan also visited the school at Old Aree and interacted with the teachers and students. The teachers mentioned that there are currently nine teachers, but the school lacked a Hindi teacher. In response, Yanthan assured that a request for the appointment of a Hindi teacher has already been made.