Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 09:
With restructuring of the North Eastern Council (NEC) to make it as a regional planning body, an action plan for preparing Vision Document, 2020 for development of the North Eastern States has been approved during the 50th meeting of NEC held at Delhi in April last.
Informing this during a press conference in the conference hall of Institute of Co-operative Management (ICM), Lamphel this afternoon, Director of North Eastern Regional Institute of Water and Land management (NERIWALM), Tejpur Prof SC Patra said that NERIWALM, which is an institute under NEC, has been initiating many new activities to prepare alternate, innovative and effective planning that would lead to holistic development of North East States including Manipur since January 2005.Elaborating on the activities being taken up by NERIWALM, Patra said the institute has been giving emphasis on disaster management, watershed management, eco-conservation and restoration, ovear and above its earlier activities on irrigation and minor irrigation, Command Area Development, Agriculture, Horticulture including organic farming.
NERIWALM has also conducted conference, colloquium, workshops, consultations and discussion to evolve consensus in water, agriculture and allied activities, human development and information & Communication technology sectors, he said.
In continuation of this process consultation, Prof Patra informed that he had intensive deliberations with officials of line departments, NGOs, individuals, Central Agriculture University (CAU), Manipur University during his current visit to the State.
Prof Patra attended the National Conference on Disaster Management, Holistic Development, Regional Planning, Banking, Pole of Media, Sectoral Planning for Water, HRD, Agriculture and Allied Sectors which was held earlier during the day at the premised of ICM.
ICM chairman Kh Borkeshore, who was also present during the press conference promised to provide one room at ICM for NERIWALM as and when it required for its use.
Addressing the workshop, Prof Patra disclosed that NEC Secretary Dr Kamal Taori and Union Minister of Tribal Affairs and Ministry of DONER PR Kanodia are keen to evolve an effective mechanism for better delivery of services by different organisations and agencies both in the public and private sector in Manipur.