Minister Scindia participates in Hornbill fest; unveils projects worth over Rs 645 cr in Nagaland

Kohima, Dec 5 (PTI) Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia on Friday took part in the traditional Angami Naga stone-pulling ceremony at Tuophema village, the home of Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in Kohima district, as part of the 26th Hornbill Festival.

Scindia, dressed in traditional Angami attire, along with his son, joined Rio, deputy chief ministers Y Patton and T R Zeliang and thousands of people in the traditional stone-pulling ceremony.

Stone pulling is a culturally revered act of the Angami Nagas.

The stone, weighing more than 30 tonnes, was pulled for almost 2 km with the traditional yodelling by the Naga communities.

Scindia, the Union Minister for Communications and DoNER, described the ceremony as "a very important day for all, not only for Tuophema village but for the people of Nagaland and the entire country".

After the ceremony, the minister toured the village and also unveiled an extensive development package focused on strengthening connectivity, infrastructure, and public services across the state.

He inaugurated five completed projects worth over Rs 202 crore and also laid the foundation stones for 11 new projects worth more than Rs 443 crore, covering healthcare, sports, innovation, energy, and major road development.

Highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for the Northeast, Scindia said the Act East Policy has accelerated development across the region, boosting infrastructure, healthcare, innovation, and youth-driven growth.

He noted that more projects are in the pipeline and will be advanced in coordination with Rio.

Rio lauded the progress achieved under the DoNER ministry, highlighting the impact of flagship schemes such as NESIDS-OTRI, NESIDS-Roads, and PM-DevINE, noting improvements in roads, bridges, water supply, healthcare, education, and digital infrastructure. PTI NBS NBS MNB