Deputy Commissioner Dimapur Kesonyü Yhome, IAS, said the need of the hour for economic growth in the rural area was to work collectively and come out from the old liking of working solo.
Speaking as the guest of honour at the valedictory program of Regional SARAS Fair 2015 at Urban Haat, here Wednesday, Kesonyü said Nagas were not really good at working collectively when it came to business unlike other social activities like church building, educational institution repairing etc.
He pointed out that when a person, especially those in rural areas where credit acquiring opportunities are less, tries to work solo there was very little chance of expanding business as in that given set-up the resources and investment remain low and limited.
Recalling how the development of Nagaland and even India initially took off, Kesonyü said, development started from the rural level where communities in order to sustain and progress themselves started engaging in daily businesses.
He said development had a wider perspective apart from the usual infrastructure, good roads, condos, technology or motor cars that dominate every talk on development. The DC said rural industry which infact sparked off the developmental activities in the first place.
Yhome dwelled on the need to improve rural level industries which in turn would enhance the economic position of the 60 percent of Naga people who lives in rural areas. He urged the present Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to create district units, set achievable targets and work towards achieving it and also upgrade and come up with more innovative ideas to progress in whichever business they were engaged in.
Kesonyü also handed over certificate of acknowledgment to the participants which included Peren, Tuensang, Kohima, Wokha, Zunheboto, Kiphiri, Longleng, Mokochung, Mon, Phek, Dimapur, Mizoram, Kerala, Assam.
Cash award basing on daily sale proceeds, availability of commodities, arrangement etc. to the best SGH from among the participating districts of Nagaland went to Phek district while Mizoram bagged the same award in the neighbouring states participants category.
Earlier, sharing on her experiences in being a part of the Regional SARAS Fair 2015, Chubala, a member of an NSRLM Self Help Group from Kiphire, said the SARAS fair had been a blessing as it provided a platform for learning from each other.
She said women have a lot of innovative ideas and this was what she understood as so many women from different corners of the State and even from the other states took part in displaying and selling self produced goods and made by them. She said a personal learning for her from other women was that she could make use of products that earlier used to be thrown away as wastes to create something unique and useful.
The programme was chaired by SRLM addl. mission director, Tsalito Sangtam. A folk song was presented by Senjüm VLO while vote of thanks was proposed by NSRLM, SMD Motsuthung Lotha.