MIZORAM Invites Investment For Economic Development

NORTH-eastern State of Mizoram scheduled to go to elect new assembly before the end of the current calendar year has held a road show in Kolkata for inviting investment in the landlocked State. Several corporate honchos, diplomats from countries such as France, and Russia and travel operators attended the road show flagged off by Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla, 79. He said his State was prepared to usher in a new era of development in what he called “magnetic Mizoram.”With the Central Government having a focused approach to put the State on the map of development, Mizoram was ready and raring to take off, the Chief Minister said. Mizoram had all the necessary spurs like second highest literacy rate in the country, keen and skilled population eager to join start-up projects, a stable Government and excellent law and order situation coupled with natural resources and some exquisite and unexplored tourist destinations, he added .

The road show aimed at generating awareness about Mizoram inhabitated by close to 11 million people of who whom 87 per cent belong to the Christian community. State Finance Minister Lalsawta said his was perhaps the only region that could boast of “unmanned shops” not run by hi-tech facilities but by sheer honesty and mutual trust of the people.“You can see hundreds of shops without shopkeepers -perhaps only sight in the country. There you can go, pick up your material, drop the price written on it and leave; no one will question you. Such is the level of honesty and mutual trust in Mizoram,” the Minister said. Expressing his satisfaction with the summit that drew an instant investment proposal of 1,000 crore INR in solar energy sector, the Chief Minister said “the summit would usher in a new era of collaboration not only for investments but also for new skills and advanced production and technology in various sectors.”Mizoram had a good health services record despite the fact that there was no medical college or super speciality hospital, the Chief Minister said. “There are big scopes for investment in fields like energy, power, oil and natural gas, bamboo, wines, handicrafts and handlooms, Moga silk, horticulture as well as adventure sports and tourism he maintained. Mizoram boasted of waterfalls, national parks, tall Himalayan peaks, lakes, he said adding the State housed the largest surviving family on earth with the family head Pu Ziona being the “proud owner of 39 wives, 89 children and 69 grand children.” the rapid development is not creating enough jobs and livelihood. Poverty is also an issue, with 20-40 percent of the population living below the poverty line in 2011-12. The two main reasons for poverty in the state are under-developed agriculture and unskilled labour. Tribals practise traditional and unscientific ‘jhum’ or slash-and-burn method of cultivation, in which land is cleared and vegetation burned to make way for new cultivable land. Officials who conducted the identification in the Tripura camps last year identified 32,857 people from 5,413 families as bona fide residents of Mizoram and for physical repatriation. However, the Supreme Court instructed the Mizoram government to not go ahead with the proposed repatriation process. The Brus have been lodged in the camps since 1997 following exodus from Mizoram due to communal tension triggered by the murder of a forest official by Bru militants. Incidentally, Mizoram is also affected by illegal exodus from across the international border. However, it relatively remains free from major law and order problem.(Courtesy  Mizoram Govt.)