By Ibochaouba Maibam
IMPHAL, 18 Nov: Declaring Mizoram as a developed state, the Mizoram chief secretary Vanhela Pachuau, IAS, in the presence of the Mizoram DGP and the visiting media persons of Manipur, has claimed Mizoram as a corruption free state.
The Mizoram chief secretary alongwith the DGP were in a meeting at his secretariat conference hall with the visiting mediapersons from Manipur who were on a tour to the state organized by All Manipur Working Journalist Union under the sponsorship by Government of Manipur.
The Mizoram chief secretary further claimed that even though the state is still lagging behind compared to some other developed states of the country, the insurgency free situation of the state has helped the state government to successfully implement the various developmental programmes in the state.
He further maintained that the state has benefited a lot from the Look East policy and the government is presently considering the construction of a railway line in the state.
The Mizoram DGP has also added that that the state is peaceful and that media persons/pressmen in the state also enjoy freedom of press without any fear, though there are some exceptional cases of violence of rape and some minor crimes.
He further told the visiting media persons that the women of the state organized a Black Day annually on November 13 show solidarity in the fight against crime against women and children.
In another meeting, PL Thanga, IAS, of the Manipur Tripura cadre, now vice chairman, New Land Use Policy Implementing Board, Er Malsawmdawngliana, Superintending Engineer (Monitoring) PWD and other officials of the Mizoram state Power and Electricity department briefed the mediamen of the situation in Mizoram at the state DIPR office.
In a power point demonstration he gave an executive summary of New Land Use Policy, Road Infrastructure in Mizoram and the present condition of the Power and Electricity department Mizoram.
Thanga, in his presentation said that the New Land Use Policy project has the objective of attaining paradigm shift in the management of two critical resource; land and water.
The proposal, which is already, implemented as a flagship programme of the Mizoram government aims at gradually changing the practice of Jhuming with a new pattern of land use, empowerment of people, preservation of the environment adoption of effective water harvesting measures and commercial utilization of abundant resource.
Meanwhile, he has also added that keeping in view short term, medium term and long term livelihood requirement of the poor farmers, artisans and other the NLUP has the objective to restore ecological balance through rejuvenation of forest cover, improvement of surface and water management, introduction of new forest and land management systems, Food security for all, to wean away farmers from Jhuming practice to adopt sustainable on farm and off farm economic activities, to introduce commercial farming in lieu of subsistence farming/ cultivation, to improve income level of urban and rural poor through sustainable farming activities, Micro enterprise and cottage industries, Socio- economic transformation development, to increase productivity through introduction of high yielding variety, mixed/doubled/multiple cropping system, adoption of better technology in cultivation, etc.
He further stated that as a way of maintaining the Mizo traditions and customs at the administrative level, the Public Distribution System is maintained by the village council and the arrival of gas at a certain locality is announced through a public announcement system at a convenient location as decided by the village council, whereby the Young Mizo Association of the concerned area helps in the proper distribution of the commodities.
On the insurgency problems of the past he has further maintained that a peace accord was signed on June 30, 1986 as a result of the Church and various NGOs of the state combining to initiate a movement of peace and settlement after insurgency broke out in the state in February 1966.
He has further added that every Mizo had worked in their capacity to bring peace and development in the state, citing the sacrifice of the ministerial seat made by Lalthanhawla, the president of Congress Party and the then Chief Minister of Mizoram in 1984. He further maintained that barring a brief period of President Rule in 1988-1989, the state has always had a safe and stable government.
Officials of the power and electricity in their power point presentation pointed out that the state power and electricity department was created in the year 1979 with the aim of providing reliable and quality power supply within Mizoram and is presently headed by an engineer in chief and four other chief engineers with a total strength of 4891 staffs presently working in the department.
Declaring that the demand for power in the state is growing, the presentation further pointed out that the demands for power was 92 MW, 100 MW and 107 MW for the years 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 respectively. It has also pointed out that the state has been receiving only 63 MW in a year from 2009-10. The state receives 70.64 MW from outside with 65.39 MW from the central government sector and the remaining 5.25 MW from the state sector.
At present the power and electricity department Mizoram has 10 numbers of Hydel Power Station which are in running condition whose installed capacity is 29.05 MW including the Serlui ‘B’ (12 MW) which are already technically commissioned. And also looks after 22.92 MW thermal Plant at Bairabi.
Furthermore the presentation under the Strategy for Development of Mizoram has pointed out that more than 98 percent of Hydro Power Potential of the state is yet to be harnessed and the government has already prepared an action plan to tap the unutilized hydro electric and a hydro electric power policy of Mizoram 2010 has been formulated and implemented.
Three power projects with total capacity of 730 MW costing RS 5077.95 crore is under implementation. In Addition a 12 MW capacity project was completed in Sept 2010. it has further pointed out that the DPR for 15 medium/small and micro hydel project of 185.2 MW capacities has been already complemented for implementation.
In addition to this the department under the RGGVY scheme has provided households connection to 27417 BPL families, 137 un-electrified villages are electrified and 570 electrified villages. Furthermore the department is planning to electrify all the villages of the state.
Superintending Engineer (Monitoring) PWD Er, Malsawmdawngliana and Power in his power point presentation pointed out the various problems faced by PWD in construction of roads in the state as the late receiving of the sanctioned and required fund from the central government, land acquisition and shifting of utilities, no prompt action from other concerned departments, remote location of site and non accessibility and non operational of Haul roads during the rainy season for construction.
About the quality policy of the state he pointed that they are committed to construct, maintain and provide technical service for infrastructure facilities as per the qualitative, quantitative and timely requirement of the stake holders and enhance stake holder’s satisfaction through continual improvement and meeting statutory and regulatory requirement.
Total road length in Mizoram is 7670.84 Kms and out of this under PWD road (NH) is 904.78 kms, PWD State roads (SH, MDR, ODR, VR) 5977.27 kms and BRTF Roads is 788.79 Kms and the road density in Mizoram is 43.78 km/100 sq. km.
Meanwhile it may be mentioned that the visiting media team from Manipur started out from Manipur on November 10 and reached Mizoram on the second day on November 11. After various tours of the developmental programmes taken up by the government and meeting with various government officials of the state the team left Mizoram on the morning of November 15 and reached Imphal on November 17 due to the bad condition of NH 53 Guite Road and NH 53
