Centre keen on improving trade activities in NE : Ramesh

Aizawl, Sep 3 (UNI) Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh has reiterated that all the concerned Ministries at the Centre were serious and committed to improving infrastructure development across the region within a couple of years.

Talking to UNI here, the Minister disclosed that the Centre had chalked out new measures to provide all sort of assistance to all the NE states, specifically in the areas of border trade and export promotional activities in different areas.

''Now it is up to the NE governments to come up with innovative and new project proposals for their respective region to get not only financial assistance from the Centre but also to procure technical support,'' he added.

He also pointed out that since NE has a rich bio-diversity, horticulture and other allied sectors should utilise the natural resources to project their indigenous products to the rest of the country.

''The Government of India has given 90 per cent subsidy in air freight charges for all horticultural and floricultural products that go from any NE state to Kolkata,'' he said adding, ''besides this, the Centre has extended about 50 per cent subsidy in air freight charges for these products to go to Mumbai or Delhi. '' Mr Jairam, who was here for a day's tour also informed that the Centre was working out a plan to set up cold storage units in some of the NE airports to facilitate the export of perishable goods to other states.

UNI BB-SNR SJC SP HS1039