Rural Development - Nagaland State Information Commission

Information on Right To Information Version 05.11
3. Block Level-Block Development Officers:
The Government of India created 15 Tribal Development Blocks during 1955-56
and 6 Community Development Blocks in 1964-65. All these 21 TD/CD Blocks were
manned by Junior NCS officers and Agri Officers till as late as 1983. Subsequently, the
existing Blocks and subordinate staff were brought under the control and administration
of R.D Department after its creation. A further 7 more Blocks were created during
1986-87.Finally, 24 Blocks were created during 1995-96. Presently, there are 52 Rural
Development Blocks in Nagaland.
The Block is headed by a Block Development Officer assisted by Junior
Engineer/SO (Engineer) and Staff. The responsibility of BDO is to achieve personal and
direct contact with the VDBs, ensure proper schematic implementation, coordination and
monitoring activities of the VDBs, assist in the selection of priority based schemes, issue
completion certificates after personal verification and submit the same to the Chairman
for fund release.
4. Village Level-Village Development Board (VDB):
The Village Level Development Agencies called the “Village Development
Boards” (VDBs) has been formed in 1980 under Clause 12 of Section 12 of the Nagaland
Village and Area Council Act 1978. The VDB is a concept based on the traditional lines of
the Village Councils (VCs) which appeared in the form of the Village Common Fund
Committees (VCFC) in Phek District of Nagaland in 1976. The initiative for the formation
of VCFC and keeping the fund in banks came from the innovative initiatives of Shri. A.M.
Gokhale IAS, the then Deputy Commissioner,Phek. He took this concept further for the
formation of VDBs in all existing 918 recognized villages during his tenure as the
Secretary to the Rural Development Department in 1980-81.
All permanent residents of the village form the General body of the Village
Development Board. A Management Committee is formed from the General Body
Chosen by the Village Council concerned and a Secretary is selected to manage the
affairs of the VDB for a period of three years. The Deputy Commissioner of the District
functions as the Ex-officio Chairman of all VDBs in the District. The VDBs are the grassroot
level Development Institutions in the state and are responsible for implementation of
all programmes/schemes of both under State Plan and Centrally Sponsored Schemes
under Rural Development Department. Apart from Centrally Sponsored Schemes, the
village-wise allocation was introduced under State Plan from 1980-81 under which every
village receives funds under the Grant-in -Aid according to the basis of the number of
Households of the village at a specified rate per tax paying household of allocation for
implementing schemes for community development. Initially, the allocation to the
villages under this scheme was made at the rate of Rs.100/- per tax paying household
with a minimum of Rs.5,000/- during 1980-81 and through subsequent enhancements,
currently the rate is Rs.1000/- per tax paying household. With this fund provided by the
Department, developmental activities best suited to their requirements are taken up by the
villagers themselves for implementation every year. At present there are 1128 recognized
villages with 2,31,514 number of households having constituted VDB in all recognized
villages in the state.
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