Thaindian News

Aizawl, Jan 15 (IANS) The Mizoram government has launched an ambitious Rs.2,873 crore new land use policy to solve food scarcity by moving away from shifting cultivation to permanent farming.Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla launched the programme late Friday by distributing Rs.20,000 each to 400 farmers at a function in Aizawl.

Simultaneously, the new farm policy launch programme was also organised in all the eight district headquarters.

Speaking at the launch, the chief minister said: “Insurgency in Mizoram played havoc with the livelihood of the Mizos. But today the new land use policy brings the beacon of hope for those who are ready to put in sincere hard work and are determined to change their lives for the better.”

The government will provide sufficient power and better roads at the earliest, Thanhawla promised.

He announced that Jan 14, the day of the new land policy launch, will be observed in the state as “Kuthnathawktute Ni” (Farmers’ Day).

According to a senior official, of the 206,365 families in Mizoram, 120,000 families will be covered under the new land policy over a period of five years by providing them financial assistance of Rs.100,000.

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

The tribals in the hilly terrains of Mizoram have for generations been carrying out the traditional slash-and-burn method of cultivation, locally called “jhum,” which has resulted in degradation of forest land and deterioration of the soil condition.

About 80 percent of farmers in Mizoram still depend on jhum cultivation that involves clearing forests and burning trees, weeds and bamboos.

Every year many people die in jhum fires. Last year, at least nine people died.

Of the Rs.2,873 crore earmarked for the project, Rs.2,527 crore will come from centrally sponsored schemes.

“The overall growth of the state’s economy is expected to increase to 16 percent in the next 8-10 years against 6 percent during the past decade. In 10 years, the per capita income would increase from Rs.32,634 in 2008-2009 to Rs.51,846,” an official release said.