NEC team inspected project sites in Ukhrul

Imphal, April 29: Officials of the North Eastern Council (NEC) led by its secretary Tuesday visited Ukhrul district of Manipur today and inspected projects taken up at various places taken up in the district with the funding from International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) with North Eastern Council (NEC) as nodal implementing agency.

The team after inspection of various project sites taken up in the hills areas of Senapati and Ukhrul districts of the state will head to Nagaland.

The team is scheduled to reach Kohima tomorrow evening after visiting various project sites in Senapati.

The team led by the secretary UK Sangma and planning advisor, PS Thanckhiew arrived yesterday at Imphal for three day visit in the state to review the status of the projects taken up by with the funding from IFAD.

Various agriculture related projects are implementing in the hill districts of the state, mostly in Senapati, Tamenglong and Ukhrul districts.

Manipur government is welcoming the visiting officials of the NEC by delaring as state guest.

The team visited IFAD project sites at Nungou and Mahadev as well as road improvement works in Ukhrul district taken up by the NEC today.

Project manager of IFAD and officials of the BRTF/BRO accompanied the team.

They will inspect the project sites of the IFAD located at Maram Khullen village, Mao Potato Farm M/s Exotic Fruits (passion fruit processing plant) at Mao in Senapati district.

IFAD-NEC cooperation was on a way successful note with the North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project (NERCORMP) excelling as a very important project both at national and international levels, having strong replicable strength to the extend.

It is considered as a robust and replicable developmental model in the north eastern region.

However, IFAD assistance gradually approaching to the end as IFAD has no longer associated with the NEC.

The ministry of DoNER (Department of North East Region) have been engaging with the world bank for sometimes to launch the NERLP (North Eastern Region Livelihood Project), originally proposed to be built on the approach and strength of the NERCRMP.

The project covered 862 villages, reaching out to 39161 families living in some of the most inaccessible hill districts of the North East.

It reaches to the remotest of all villages in the districts where government organizations and other developmental agencies have little or no developmental initiatives.

It has been designed in such a way so as to reach-out to the poorest of the poor, and has been able to successfully deliver results, official said.

The project has organized the beneficiary families into 3168 self help groups and 1020 natural resource management groups (NaRMGs) .