New Delhi: The Centre is planning to set up a Central university at Barapani during 12th Plan period, informed Union Minister of State for Agriculture Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan here on Wednesday.
“Development of the North East region tops priority list of the government. Recently, the Union agriculture minister has agreed to a proposal for setting up of new agriculture universities and research centres in North-East including one in Meghalaya,” the Minister said while responding to a letter from Vincent H Pala, who represents Shillong in Lok Sabha.
Union Agriculture Ministry has already directed the Indian Council for Agricultural Research to study the feasibility of opening agriculture and veterinary universities in the Northeastern states. The proposed Central Agriculture University at Barapani will take care of agriculture education and research with special emphasis related to Meghalaya, Nagaland. The new university is coming under the 12th Plan, the Minister said.
The Centre has also asked for the setting up of six new colleges-agriculture, horticulture or fishery, to cover the entire region.
More research activities and focus on agricultural education will help in making the optimum utilization of the resources and boost agricultural production in the region, the Minister said.