Arunachal Pradesh deputy chief minister Chowna Mein on Tuesday suggested setting up an industrial zone in the State to create employment opportunities.
He said this while delivering the inaugural address at the state level sensitization and planning workshop on Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) organized by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
Mein also underscored the importance of agriculture and allied sectors in bringing economic development to the State.
He was of the opinion that the State having a large area of 83000 sq km has huge potential for agriculture and allied sectors.
He also urged the implementing departments and NABARD to work in close coordination so that the State continues to get optimum benefit.
Noting that a certain percentage of allocation under RIDF may be utilized for agriculture, Mein said the State Government will support progressive FPOs through KVKs from the state budget.
He said irrigation is the most important sector which needs to be taken care of.
Emphasizing on sustainable and timely completion of projects financed under RIDF, Mein stressed on the need for a convergence based approach in project implementation to derive more benefits for the rural masses.
State agriculture minister Tage Taki suggested changes in PMKSY as suitable to Arunachal Pradesh with more emphasis on open channel irrigation.
He also highlighted the importance of encouraging allied sectors in the state by acknowledging its potential for doubling farmers’ income.
Gopa Kumaran Nair, general manager/OIC, NABARD, underscored the importance of RIDF as one of the major interventions in the state for sustained growth and boosting private investment.
He also highlighted the need for timely completion of the sanctioned projects to realize the envisaged benefits of the projects.
Nair urged the state government to avail of other funds announced by the Central Government, such as the Dairy Processing Fund, Micro Irrigation Fund, Warehouse Infrastructure Development Fund, Food Processing Fund and Nabard Infrastructure Development Assistance.
He also encouraged the department officials to submit DPRs on time to minimize the time gap between sanction and implementation of RIDF projects in the State.