GUWAHATI: The North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach, or NECTAR, which was meant to help entrepreneurs in the region with technology innovation, is yet to set up a full-fledged office in Shillong even after three years of its inception.
In 2012, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had approved setting up of the autonomous organisation with a total outlay of Rs 292 crore under the Ministry of Science and Technology. It was approved by the Cabinet in April of the year.
The nodal centre was set up under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, with a mandate to promote deployment of carefully selected technologies emanating from public-funded research institutions under central and state governments in consultation with respective states.
However, the entrepreneurs of the Northeast have hardly benefited from NECTAR that has turned into a rehabilitation centre for former bureaucrats.
The centre continues to operate from its rented premises in New Delhi incurring heavy expenditure in terms of rent. It has only set up a token office in Shillong, which is used as a guest house.
NECTAR was meant to help entrepreneurs, especially those working in the bamboo sector that is set to get a fillip after the recent decision of the Centre to exclude bamboo from the list of forest products.
Following a plea made by Rajib Goswami, the President of Bamboo Industries Association of India, the Ministry of Science and Technology, in its letter dated October 24, 2016, directed NECTAR to shift its office to Shillong from New Delhi.
Again on April 17 this year, the ministry directed the secretary of the Department of Science & Technology to take necessary action to make NECTAR shift its office to Shillong.
But all these directives have failed to yield result.
The MPs from the region have been hardly audible in the issue of shifting NECTAR office to Shillong much to the dismay of entrepreneurs in the region.
