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Zhaleo Rio is seen with Smriti Irani and Zaputuo Lhoungu during a meeting in New Delhi on November 25.[/caption]
Dimapur, Nov. 30 (EMN): In a bid to boost economic empowerment of the needy in Nagaland, Zhaleo Rio, advisor of Sericulture, Excise and Minority Affairs, met the union minister of Textile Smriti Irani in New Delhi on November 25.
Rio thanked the union minister for sanctioning five sericulture developmental projects to Nagaland from 2014-15 to 2018-19 under North East Region Textile Promotion Scheme (NERTPS). Rio disclosed that “approximately 18,000 families have been identified as sericulturists in Nagaland out of which about 5000 farmers have been assisted under the above schemes.”
He also disclosed that Nagaland was awarded the “Best Eri producing state in the country” in 2018 for its quality production.
Further highlighting that there are still thousands of identified sericulturists in dire need of assistance, Rio requested the union minister to consider those project proposals under submission to the said ministry through NERTPS during 2019-20 in order to cover about 3000 families. He also requested for extension of NERTPS programme for North eastern states particularly Nagaland, which is a resource crunch state.
An update from Thejangukho Yalietsu, media secretary of NDPP 5 Ghaspani-II AC, stated that the union minister had assured to help the state in all possible ways and also expressed optimism on continuation of NEPTRS programme.
The advisor was accompanied by his OSD, Zaputuo Lhoungu, besides other department officials.
