Terming Dimapur the gateway to Nagaland, Moatoshi Longkumer, MLA, called upon citizens of the district to work towards a better and cleaner Dimapur.
The MLA urged citizens of Dimapur to not depend on the government or “outsiders” to change their district but to take it upon themselves to bring about constructive change.
Longkumer was addressing hundreds of women on Wednesday at the launching of The Working Woman Project and disbursement of grant-in-aid to 226 Self Help Groups (SHGs) from 2 Dimapur II Assembly Constituency, financed under the Local Area Development Programme Fund (LADPF) 2018-2019.
He challenged people to be agents of change so that the district could do away with its infamous attributes and become a source of inspiration for other districts to emulate.
Longkumer also encouraged women to play a vital role in transforming Dimapur district by helping out in strengthening its economy. He then challenged Naga women to venture into the business sector to uplift their respective family’s economies thus strengthening the district’s economy.
He also urged SHGs to judiciously use LADPF funds and promised to extend more assistance to successful SHGs. The MLA also appreciated the NDPP-led PDA government’s initiative of declaring Nagaland a “plastic free” state and encouraged people of the state to dutifully put it into practice.
Earlier, delivering a short speech, Naga Women Hoho Dimapur (NWHD), president, Sungasabeni Jamio, clarified that NWHD attended the programme to extend solidarity to women in their new endeavour and not because it has any affiliation towards any political groups.
Appreciating the gesture of the MLA in distributing the LADPF, the NHWD president noted that the funds were meant for the development of local areas and urged politicians to utilise them for the public.
Citing a few success stories of SHGs, Jamio encouraged SHGs from 2 Dimapur II AC to judiciously utilise the funds to be economically sound.
Short speeches were also delivered by Dimapur Watsu Telongjem president, Yarsangla and Vimeno Angami from Naga Women Hoho; a special number was presented by Abeni Odyuo; invocation was offered by Rev. Dr T Tejmen Ozukum; welcome speech by Hito Aye; a brief of the programme by Akala Jamir; and a vote of thanks by NPF president women wing 2 Dimapur II AC, Kerei Pfukha.