IANS
SHILLONG, MARCH 9
The Meghalaya government on Monday urged the central government to ratify the land agreement protocol that was signed between India and Bangladesh during Manmohan Singh’s visit to Bangladesh in September 2011.
“The state (Meghalaya) government has been urging upon the central government to ratify the protocol signed with Bangladesh so that people on both sides are able to derive the potential socio-economic benefits that a well-defined and settled border offers,” Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi said.Tripathi, who was addressing the state legislative assembly on the opening day of the budget session, said the government has approved the setting up of four, new border “haats” (markets) along the India-Bangladesh border to create new economic opportunities.
“Operationalisation of two borders ‘haats’ at Kalaichar and Balat has created new economic opportunities besides strengthening social bonding among the people along the border,” the governor said.
Pointing out that the government has been working seriously to deal with the problem of infiltration and influx in the state, Tripathi also stressed on the need to fence the India-Bangladesh border.
“The government urges all the stakeholders to extend their cooperation and allow the fencing work to be undertaken in those portions where it has been stalled on accounts of objections from local quarters,” he said
On the prevailing law and order situation in the state, Tripathi said the government was determined to overcome the challenges to internal security, peace and order and thwart the attempts of misguided elements (militants) to cause disturbance and disorder.
He also said that the government was committed to having a dialogue with the militant outfits, provided they gave up their anti-national stance and abjured violence.
He admitted that there had been a substantial decline in the state’s revenue.
Besides, the ban on mining of coal imposed by the National Green Tribunal had also created an adverse impact on the state’s revenue resources.
The governor, however, said steps had been taken to address this situation by improving efficiency in tax collection and plugging leakages.
Taiwan keen to help Mizoram in agriculture
IANS
AIZAWL, MARCH 9
Taiwan is keen to help Mizoram in developing its agriculture and in value-addition of bamboo and capacity-building of human resource in the northeastern state, Taiwan’s ambassador to India Chung-Kwang Tien has said.
“We are ready to help Mizoram in agriculture, value-addition of bamboo and capacity-building of human resource,” Tien told reporters here on Sunday.
He said there were similarities in terrain and typography of Taiwan and Mizoram, bordering Myanmar.
“Agriculture and bamboo are two important sectors of possible co-operation that can be worked out,” the envoy said, adding that he discussed with Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla about the possible cooperation between Mizoram and Taiwan.
Tien, accompanied by two officials of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in India, came here on March 6 to witness the Mizos’ biggest festival -- Chapchar Kut.
The visiting ambassador held discussion with Lal Thanhawla about sharing of experience between Mizoram’s and Taiwan’s experts on agriculture, value-addition of bamboo and capacity-building of human resource.
Tien said two agricultural experts, one specializing in grapes, would visit Mizoram later this month to study the agricultural and horticultural pattern in the state and suggest possible areas of intervention that could lead to concrete actions. He said entrepreneurs engaged in value-addition of bamboo and its products could visit his country to see the kind of industry expertise that Taiwan has in bamboo products.
The envoy invited students to apply for scholarships in Taiwan at various levels of education. The Mizoram University could explore the possibility of running a Mandarin language centre, he said.
