DoNER minister Jitendra Singh addressing the summit at Mizoram University, Aizawl

The Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) minister Jitendra Singh has said that the north-eastern states can show the way to other states and particularly the other hill states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand can emulate several of the successful experiments and initiatives taken in the northeast.

Addressing the three-day ‘Sustainable Mountain Development Summit’ at Mizoram University in Aizawl on Thursday, Jitendra Singh said that the other states of India have much to learn from the north-eastern states and in this regard, he cited the example of Mizoram, where the conference was being held.

He said, a small state, which formed just over 30 years ago and has a population of just over 10 lakh, has a very high literacy rate which is, perhaps, next only to Kerala. Not only this, Singh said, Mizoram, comprising four hill districts with more than 50 percent of the state’s population living in these districts, has successfully introduced ‘New Land Use Policy’ by giving the farmers an alternate sustainable land based activity through this policy wherein the farmers have successfully switched over to other vocational activities like horticulture, sericulture and bamboo plantation among others.

He also complimented Mizoram for having introduced the new ‘Economic Development Policy’ as a comprehensive growth strategy for the state.

Jitendra Singh said that the proposal for introducing ‘Air Clinics’ comprising helicopter based OPD to cater to people in far-flung areas is almost through and very soon this, first of its kind, healthcare experiment in India, will be introduced in the north-eastern states.

He further said that this is one of the initiatives which could also be emulated by states like Jammu & Kashmir.

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