GUWAHATI: The Public Health and Engineering (PHE) Department of the Meghalaya government has bagged the award for the Best North Eastern state for implementing Swachh Bharat Mission.
Besides, the Best Innovative Stall Award went to Regional Outreach Bureau, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; Best Stall Award to National Institute of Public Co-operation and Child Development; Best Informative Stall Award to Indian Council of Medical Research; and Best Commercial Stall Award went to Mahindra Commercial vehicles.
The three-day event was organised by Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) with National Cooperative Development Corporation being the main sponsor of the programme among others.
Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi underlined the importance of competence building, marketing and infrastructure development to accelerate growth of the farm sector in the North East.
“The North East is particularly known for its unique horticulture products. Sikkim is known for cardamom, Meghalaya for ginger, Assam for tea and Tripura for pineapples. Therefore, there is an urgent need for training, competence building, investment, marketing, processing, projection and infrastructure development to accelerate growth in this sector,” Mukhi said in the concluding session of Vibrant North East 2018 here on Saturday.
Speaking at the event, the Governor said, “Agriculture is the back bone of the country where 60 per cent of the population is directly engaged in this occupation. The farmers and the stakeholders are facing many problems in farming but they carry on with their work to feed the nation. Programs like this help the farmers, entrepreneurs, youths and stakeholders of the North Eastern states to be self dependent.”
This was the fourth edition of the event which aimed at providing a common platform for progressive farmers and entrepreneurs to know more about the central government schemes on offer.
Some significant MOUs, including one on promoting stevia (natural sweetener) plant cultivation in the region, were signed during the event.
