GUWAHATI: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has called upon the Centre to put an end to the practice of considering all the Northeastern states as a single entity while rolling out programmes, policies and schemes.
“All the North Eastern states – while being looked upon as one single entity from the mainland perspective – are quite distinct and different from each other. Each state has its own potentials and challenges. Even within a state like ours, each region, district and community have their own potentials and challenges. I would, therefore, request the Government of India to approve and sanction state specific programmes and schemes for each of the states in the Northeast to benefit those in real terms,” he said while addressing the inaugural function of the two-day State Conclave on Perspective Planning for Resurgent Agriculture and Allied Sectors in the state here at State Assembly Auditorium in Itanagar, according to an official source.
Pema Khandu reiterated his government’s emphasis on agriculture and allied sectors for employment generation as well as self-sustainability. Khandu expressed hope that the sector with huge potentials would witness a sea of development in the days to come from the two-day brainstorming amongst experts, officials and progressive farmers from across the state.
Organised by the state Department of Agriculture in partnership with NABARD, the conclave would focus on four broad themes – enabling environment for development of agriculture and allied sector, promotion of sustainable use of bamboo, sericulture, apiculture, value chain and agri-export, promotion of horticulture and spices sector and promotion of animal husbandry and fisheries sectors.
Lauding the four themes of the conclave, Khandu called for focus on bamboo production and its use for commercial purposes. He said bamboo, which is abundant in the state, had so many commercial uses that people in the state weren’t even aware of and suggested brainstorming on it to find viable methods for its processing for sustainable economy of the farmers.
Expressing concern over hesitation by banks to offer loans to farmers owing to poor repayment, Khandu acknowledged the suggestion put forward for intervention of the state government by evolving a system to guarantee repayment of loans. He said the government would prepare a module so as to enable farmers repay their loans as well as guarantee repayment to banks as a confidence building measure. He asked the Chief Secretary to work on it immediately.