Develop district science centres for overall growth: Dr Harsh Vardhan
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN
Imphal, February 17 2015:
Union Minister of Science and Technology Dr Harsh Vardhan stressed on the need for setting up science centres in every district for ensuring all round development in the state.
The minister was speaking during the stone laying ceremony of Technology and Skill Development Centre at the Institute of Bio-resources and Sustainable Development (ISBD) at Takyel on Tuesday.
Terming the Northeast region as a bio-diversity hotspot, he urged the experts and scientists of Northeastern states to shelve their routine works and try their hands in entrepreneurship so that the states can extract benefits from their rich bio-resources.
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He reiterated that the Central government is committed to utilization of the rich bio-resources for developing the region at par with other regions of the country.
Dr Harvardhan promised that he will lead from the front in seeking Central government support to the state governments in their ventures for development of the vast bio-resources available in the region.
Expressing his disappointment at the present condition of the ISBD after conducting an inspection of the infrastructure available there, he stated that under the right guidance it could have grown into a premier institute during its 14 years of establishment.
He reminded that the institute which was established in 2001 during the tenure of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was one of its kind in India.
He hoped that the institute would one day realize the dreams of Vajpayee.
Director of the institute, Prof Dinabandhu Sahoo who also addressed the occasion informed that the construction of the Technology and Skill Development Centre will be completed within a period of three month.
Since the past many years, IBSD has been doing research not only on the bio-resources found in Manipur but also in other states of the Northeast, he said, adding that the state has the potential to become a terminus for bio-resource products.
Dr Harsh Vardhan left Imphal for New Delhi before noon after concluding his two day visit to the state.