Imphal, November 18 2010: New Land Use Policy (NLUP) and policies to develop both land and water routes for trade and commerce are some of the efforts Mizoram government is taking up to push the state to an advanced state.

A team of state journalists of the All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) visited various developmental projects being taken up in Mizoram under the sponsorship of the state planning department during their stay from November 10 and 16 in the state.

In a briefing to the visiting state journalists at the conference hall of the Mizoram Information and Public Relation vice chairman PL Thanga gave a brief account of the New Land Use Policy of the state.

He informed that Mizoram which was once an insurgency infested state is peaceful and fast moving forward in development.

The Congress government in the state is working hard for accelerating for an all round development passage in the state in the last 20 years.

It has drafted the NLUP to help farmers move away from the traditional slash-and-burn method of cultivation to more sustainable land-based means of livelihood.

He said that the '2,527-crore NLUP has been taken up for sustainable land-based economic activities and to remove the age-old 'jhum' cultivation in the state.

In the first five years, the NLUP aims to support 120,000 families.

He said the departments of agriculture, horticulture, veterinary, industries, forest, fisheries, sericulture and soil and water conservation would be involved in the scheme.

Amongst others the core objectives of the new policy includes to aim at keeping 60% of Mizoram total land area as rain forest, to wean away farmers from destructive jhum practices and assist the workforce hitherto engaged in jhuming to be employed in sustainable economic ventures to create productive assets in each family, to improve income for both urban and rural poor through sustainable farming, non farming, micro enterprises including promotion and modernization of small scale and cottage industries, livelihood activities.

It will also focus on land reclamation and promotion of Agri-horticultural and plantation crops, animal husbandry, fishery and micro enterprises for income and employment generation.

NLUP programme will give a focused attention to preserve and regenerate natural resources particularly forests and bio diversity.

It is projected to benefit about 1,20,000 families in 5 years for various livelihood activities in the 1st year 2009-2010, and about 19640 families to be covered on a pilot basis.

About 80 percent of farmers in Mizoram are still dependent on jhum cultivation that involves clearing of forests and burning trees, weeds and bamboos and the NLUP seeks to restore a ecological balance by providing the farmers sustainable and permanent land-based means of livelihood, he asserted.

The NLUP also aims to create 21,480 hectares of bamboo plantation to benefit 10,740 families.

The NLUP intends to keep 60 percent of the state's total geographical area under forest cover and the remaining 40 percent for land-based development, Thanga said.

Making a power point presentation on the power situation in the state, Thanga said that a new Hydro Electric Power Policy Mizoram 2010 have already started.

The state has 98 percent power potential yet to be tapped.

A 12 Megawatt Serlui 'B' Hydel Project is near completion.

It is targeted to be commissioned by December this year.

The total power requirement Mizoram in a year is 107 MW while the availability is only 63 MW.

Mizoram government has a plan to develop NH-150 from Nokpa to Thanlon-Singhat of Manipur into a double-lane highway.

The project will cost ' 67.69 and is targeted to completed by 2013, he said.

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