Our Correspondent
Kisama | September 17
Reiterating that the answer to eradicating poverty in Nagaland lies in its ‘Green Gold’ – bamboo – North East Council (NEC) Member, P.P Shrivastava today made a number of suggestions for the state government to take up including experimenting construction of buildings for rural housing using local bamboo resources.
“Why should poverty remain when we have enough ‘Green Gold’”, the NEC Member said while addressing the investors’ meet at the Heritage Bamboo Hall here this afternoon. The NEC Member also suggested that movement of essential commodities which include bamboo be made free from taxation in an effort to promote bamboo development in the state, pointing out that bamboo is an agricultural product.
Shrivastava also dwelled on the numerous uses of bamboo, remarking that it has been scientifically proven that bamboo has properties that are superior to timber or wood.
Also, briefly speaking on the occasion, Ayumi Fujino, UNIDO representative in India and Regional Director for South Asia, stressed on the need to harvest public-private partnership.
Mizoram Minister in-charge of Industries, Tourism and PHE, S. Hiato, congratulated the Nagaland Government and expressed gratitude to it for hosting such a grand, historic international event.
In his brief speech, the Mizoram government representative, while highlighting the state’s position and policies in bamboo development, appealed to investors and entrepreneurs to come to the state and start projects. Maintaining that there can be no development without peace, he assured the gathering that Mizoram is one of the most peaceful states in the entire country.
He also sought to inform the gathering that Mizoram state, with an area of 1,087 square kilometers, has an abundant reserve of bamboo forests covering 12.544 lakh hectares, contributing to 14 percent of the country’s bamboo distribution.
Meanwhile, hectic last-minute final touches are being given to the venue of the first-ever World Bamboo Day celebration venue and security has been tightened right from the entry points to the state capital in preparation for the visit of the Vice President of India, Dr. Md. Hamid Ansari. Large numbers of police and security forces were seen maintaining vigil at key points in and around Kohima and police personnel with bomb detectors and sniffer-dogs were seen inspecting the stalls and issuing security warnings to the participants.
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