Itanagar, April 22 (ANI): Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki has urged the Rubber Board of India (RBI) to tie up with the Government of Arunachal Pradesh to take up joint ventures by extending financial support, technical know-how, training and marketing backup etc. to help achieve the state government’s employment target.
Rubber cultivation could act as a harbinger in meeting 25 per cent of the state government’s five-year job generation target of one lakh, he said in his address to the maiden awareness workshop, conducted by trade and commerce department in collaboration with Agro Gramin United.
The chief minister insisted on Sunday that high quality saplings and expert guidance for large scale cultivation and announced to seek the support of the Union Commerce Ministry.
Rubber is one of the most viable and profitable crops which could yield Rs 2.7 lakh per hectare, he said and called for taking up double cropping with rubber for income before rubber production.
He also suggested for identifying more viable areas and announced that the beneficiaries would be selected in a transparently by the deputy commissioners for the GoAP support.
Rubber Board of India (RBI) Chairman Sheela Thomas in her keynote address informed that 10 districts – East and West Siang, Papum Pare, East Kameng, Lohit, Lower Dibang Valley, Changlang, Tirap and Longding – with 25,000 hectare potential area as per initial survey have been identified in Arunachal Pradesh for rubber cultivation.
Announcing a long term association because of the GoAP’s keen interest, she said the NE region would get the RBI’s priority attention now and a demonstration firm could be set up in the state.
She sought the GoAP support to take up rubber cultivation with the RBI in an effective manner to benefit the rural masses of the state.
Sheela leading a six-member team arrived here Saturday on her maiden three-day trip to the state.
Tea and rubber is on top priority agenda of the GoAP since last year with a target of bringing 4,000 hectares under cultivation in the next five years on a mission mode, said Finance Minister Chowna Mein.
He cautioned that there would be strict monitoring at each level as many societies would come up to take advantage, but that there cannot be compromise with professionalism to make it a grand success to help Arunachal figure in the rubber map of India.
Agriculture Minister Setong Sena, who took up rubber cultivation two years ago said that the GoAP has taken up self-employment mission with the CM’s vision and new ones are in the offing, he disclosed and urged the RBI for setting up of a regional nursery to meet growers’ demand.
Sensitization was the objective the workshop, Chief Secretary HK Paliwal said, adding Arunachal’s rubber potential (25,0000 ha) if tapped in five years would replace jhum cultivation, create jobs for rural masses, and help set up processing industries in this industry-starved state while India could stop import, Tuki added.
Trade and Commerce Secretary Indra Mallo Jain said the event aimed at defining a new horizon for rubber, taken up by the GoAP on mission mode.
Agun chairman Likha Maj, a prominent rubber grower and entrepreneur, who was earlier lauded by Rubber Board of India (RBI) chairman Sheela Thomas for his initiative for undertaking a study tour to Kottayam, said the initiative of Chief Minister Tuki would go a long way in turning rubber into a desire in the state.
The SIRD conference was packed beyond its capacity with MLA Sati Mein, commissioners, the PCCF, senior officers of RBI, HoDs, rubber growers, officers of T and C department including director Tokong Perting present on the occasion. (ANI)
