NEDFi workshop on NER Vision 2020 for Sikkim

Good governance, peace and natural beauty, USPs of Sikkim: Neeru Sewa

NEDFi workshop on NER Vision 2020 for Sikkim



GANGTOK, May 4: State Commerce & Industries minister Neeru Sewa today said that the USPs of Sikkim including natural beauty, peace and tranquility and good governance which puts the Himalayan State in an advantageous position as compared to other States.

Unsurpassable natural beauty and resources, peace, tranquility and unpolluted air and good governance are our USPs and the combination of these factors certainly puts Sikkim in an advantageous position in comparison to some other States, said the minister in her inaugural address during a daylong consultative workshop on the ‘NER Vision 2020-The Way Forward’ organized here by North Eastern Development Financial Corporation Ltd (NEDFi).

“Now that the Ministry of Development of North East Region has embarked on an ambitious plan of acceleration development process of the northeast region, I am optimistic that along with the rest of region, our State too would witness the winds of change in terms of creating qualitative and world class infrastructure”, said Sewa.

Earlier, Sikkim University Vice-Chancellor Prof Mahendra P Lama, one of the co-authors of the ambitious North Eastern Region Vision 2020 document, today called upon the institutions providing financial and other services to introduce newer areas of activities and developmental interventions in the region.

“Why should an entrepreneur in the Northeastern region only think of bamboos, pineapples and mushrooms? Why not newer areas like information technology, hospitality, small and medium enterprises for the MNCs, knowledge based business including faith healing, fashion designs, education, health, border trade and cross border tourism. What it requires to bring upfront these ventures in terms of institutions, training, technology, communications, etc? If Sony, Apple, Hitachi, Samsung and British telecom can open ancillary units in the costal hinterland of China why not in the Northeastern region”, said Prof Lama in his keynote address.

The Vice Chancellor also highlighted the crucial role of financial services for development of the Northeastern region. The financial service link the nuances of production system at the very micro level to the markets at much larger levels, facilities the inter-institutional linkages, generates entrepreneurial spirit, attract multiplicity of development actors from public, private, self-help groups and finally provides a broad development direction and map to the entire region thereby integrating with larger economic entities both within and outside the country, he said.

“All these issues are given very practical connotations in this Vision 2020 document”, said Prof Lama.

Prof Lama was in the national steering committee for preparation of the vision document and is also one of the co-authors of the report released in 2008.
Pointing out the strengths of the region in floriculture, horticulture and medicinal plants, the Vice-Chancellor said that the Vision Document provides very pertinent strategies to take these strengths to national and global markets. “For a beautiful orchid from Sikkim to reach the consumers in Tokyo city, the entire value chain needs to be first understood and work on it accordingly”, he pointed out.

“This is precisely one of the reasons, we have introduced an integrated 6 years programmes on horticulture and floriculture management in Sikkim University where the curriculum was designed by practicing farmers, academics, experts from agriculture and management institutions”, said the Vice-Chancellor.

Prof Lama also urged on the planners to link the entire tourism activities of the Northeastern region with immediate neigbhours. “In order to transform the entire tourism activities can we link the hills of Manipur and mountain areas of Sikkim and Arunachal

Pradesh with fascinating sea beaches at Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh. These two geographical could be directly linked within few hundred kilometers and an overnight drive”, he said.

NEDFi chief managing director KN Hazarika informed that 17 Thematic Groups have been constituted to develop the mechanism for realizing the aims, objectives and goals enunciated in the North Eastern Region Vision 2020.

NEDFi is the co-convenor of the Thematic Group on Financial Services and its particular role is to bring all the financial institutions like State Bank of India and NBARAD together to chart out the way forward for each Northeastern State and later make a comprehensive action plan for the region, said Hazarika.

The first such meeting was held at Aizwal in January.

We will cover all the Northeastern States by September and take State specific inputs before coming up with the final line of action, said Hazarika.
The inaugural session was followed by presentations by NEDFi, State Planning department, RBI, State Bank of India, NABARD, SIDBI and Travel Agents Association of Sikkim.

source;sikkim express