‘Mizoram flagship programme successful’

AIZAWL, Mar 26  – Mizoram Finance Minister H Liansailova yesterday informed the Mizoram Assembly that a comprehensive project for inclusive and equitable growth called New Land Use Policy (NLUP) has been successfully implemented in the State.

The main objective of the project is major overhauling of the State economy through structural replacement of devastating shifting cultivation by introducing systematic method of occupation based on local resources and ingenuity of the local people.

The Minister was presenting interim annual budget for 2012-13. Highlighting some of the achievements under NLUP, the Minister said a total of Rs 468.82 crore has so far been released by the Government of India for NLUP since its inception in 2010-11.

The outcome of the project started surfacing in the economic activities in the State which is evidenced by the significant improvement in the agriculture sector. The gradual reduction of jhum cultivation in the last few years also bears ipso facto testimony.

Moreover, the success story of this gigantic scheme is also compounded by the recent flourish of broom cultivation and fruitful utilisation of bamboo resources throughout the State.

Reliable local firms have been officially appointed market traders in respect of broom from the beneficiaries and also formally to handle Agarbati sticks produced from bamboo by the beneficiaries. Other trades of NLUP shall also be taken care of in phase-wise in a year to come.

Stressing the importance of inclusive and active circumspect-participation of all stakeholders like policy makers, media persons, invigilating officials, church leaders, non-government organizations and the major partakers- beneficiaries towards achievement of its ultimate goal, Liansailova said that NLUP is the only systematic and planned project that has ever been carried out in the State.