GOVERNOR’S SECRETARIAT
ARUNACHAL PRADESH
ITANAGAR

IPR (PR) 3/2008                                                                 Dated Naharlagun, May 28, 2009

PRESS RELEASE NO. 478

Governor for converting Poma village into a model village

Itanagar, May 28: In order to encourage self employment and entrepreneurship amongst the youths especially of the rural population, the State Government with the guidance from State Governor Gen JJ Singh is going to set up a bamboo processing unit at Poma, 32 km from State Capital Itanagar, informed State Planning Secretary cum Secretary to Governor P.S. Lokhande during a meeting with Panchayat leaders, gaon buras and denizens of Poma area at the State Forest Research Institute (SFRI), here on May 27 last.

The project which would be first of its kind, as the State Forest Corporation with technical help from the Cane and Bamboo Technology Center (CBTC), Guwahati will be set Unit and hand it over to the villagers to run.

Appealing for the villagers to play important role in the project, Lokhande pointed it will be on experimental basis and if it is successful, we will start many more such projects in different parts of the State, where it is commercially viable. Your cooperation and commitment will be of immense important, he stressed.

As desired by the Governor, we are in the process of making Poma village a model village, which will have a one project of every programme of every department. It will be a village tourism hub in the future, with horticulture and forest projects, Secretary to Governor held.
Earlier, welcoming the officials and Panchayat and village representatives to meeting, SFRI Director G.N. Sinha informed that State Forest Corporation and CBTC Guwahati will on the job facilitate by the State Planning department. CBTC will provide the training manuals, supervisory work and also identify the requisite machines. Training, workshops and exposure visit will be part of the project. The villagers have to take up the project in business mode instilled with corporate behavior for it success. With 100% buy back guarantee for the produces by the CBTC, Guwahati, it will be definitely be a profitable venture, Sinha added.

SFRI Director, who is also the Managing Director, Forest Corporation informed that in the month of September, the World Bamboo Conference is going to be held in Thailand and we may send our entrepreneurs in the bamboo sectors to the conference. It will be an opportunity for our people to interact with world bamboo associates and exchange ideas.
Expressing gratitude on the initiative of the State Government and the Governor, Poma Anchal Samiti member A. Techi assured all out cooperation to the project. Stressing on the proper training, she also highlighted on the problem of road communication, which she feared may deter the success of the project.

It was decided that the villagers form a Village Development Society and take it up as a group venture. Once a plot is identified and handed over to the society, the department will construct the unit shed and get the machines installed. It will be done in Mission Mode and not in the normal pace as the project is an initiative of the State Governor Gen JJ Singh. Planning Director Millo Bida, Papum Pare ADC Tai Kaye, senior forest officials also attended the meeting, reports PRO to Governor.

Sd/- Purabi Taikam, PRO