Aizawl, April 27 (PTI): Mizoram Governor Lt. Gen (retd) Nirbhay Sharma today said the state will become a big player in the nation"s development, once connectivity issues are sorted out in a couple of years.
The connectivity problems in the region were the main impediments to development of the state and the government was working hard to improve it, the governor said while inaugurating a workshop here.
"We have a plan in Mizoram. We want to increase digital as well as physical connectivity," he said at the "Smart Cities Workshop: Sustainable Urban Development".
The government plans to spend Rs 300 crore to improve digital connectivity and this should make connectivity much better by two to three years, he said.
The government is also building a new airport which would make connectivity to Aizawl much easier, he said.
To make the smart cities mission successful, there was a need to arrest rural migration to cities and the case of Aizawl was not different either, he said.
"I think there is a need to decongest Aizawl, to make it a successful smart city.
"We need to open out, taking development to other areas as well so that migration to the already congested city is arrested," the governor said.
He said smart cities should also take into consideration educational reforms, with focus on skill development, disaster management capabilities, health management and other provision of basic necessities.
The workshop, addressed by 25 speakers from across the country and abroad, had sessions on "Smart Governance: Inclusive cities", "Smart resource management", "Smart infrastructure" and "Smart mobility".
