Dimapur: Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio on Saturday called for according due care and support to women.
“It is high time that we take our women seriously and give them care and protection,” Rio said while inaugurating the government-owned first working women’s hostel in the state at Walford colony, Dimapur.
He said this in the context of many women facing discrimination with urbanization.
He hoped that the women’s hostel built by the Nagaland urban development and municipal affairs department at a cost of over Rs 12 crore, with the central government and state government share at 90:10, will come in handy in housing the urban women living in poverty, widows and divorcees with their children, slum area and homeless women.
Adviser to the urban development and municipal affairs department Dr Neikiesalie Kire was present at the inaugural programme.
“It is a joy to know that the poorest of the poor women will be taken care of by the hostel,” he added. He also said this facility will promote women’s welfare.
Rio expressed gratitude to the Northern Angami Public Organisation (NAPO) for giving them the land for the construction of the hostel.
Calling for promoting young entrepreneurs, he said the attitude that the government should own, maintain and control everything should go.
Rio also advocated disinvestment as propounded by former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. He said the government should be the facilitator as it cannot do business adding that the entrepreneurs should do the business.
He asked why depend on the government for everything. “I think the time has come for change,” he said.
Principal secretary, urban development and municipal affairs department, I Himato Zhimomi and NAPO president Zeneituo Yano also spoke on the occasion while executive engineer, municipal affairs, Theruovituo Pienyu gave the technical report on the construction of the hostel.