GBPIHED undertakes project on climate change

Itanagar, June 17 (UNI) The G B Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development (GBPIHED) has finalised its project ''Vision 2015'', official sources here today said.

Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Namo Narain Meena said the GBPIHED identified policy problems and thematic areas for consideration in next five years.

Responding to the matter raised by state MP Kiren Rijiju in Lok Sabha recently, regarding functioning of the GBPIHED, including its Itanagar unit, Mr Meena, in a letter, informed the former that the main objective of this autonomous institution, set up under the Union Ministry of Environment, was to undertake in-depth research and development studies on environmental problems of the entire Himalayan region.

''Considering the importance of North East, including Arunachal Pradesh, a biodiversity hot-spot with rich cultural diversity, the GBPIHED, Itanagar, undertakes programmes and projects on various issues on regional priority, including impact of climate change as one of the major thematic areas,'' the letter stated, a copy of which was made available to the press.

Meanwhile, Arunachal MP Tapir Gao, in a letter, appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ensure release of Rs 35 crore under non-lapsable fund from the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development for infrastructure development of the Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages (CIEFL), NE campus, Shillong.

Mr Gao contended that the HRD Ministry had not given importance to the CIEFL proposal for funds, submitted on January nine last year. Consequently, the MP urged the DoNER Ministry to intervene and get the funds released.

Besides, the letter pleaded to declare the institution as a ''Centre of Excellence'' and introduce more foreign languages and professional courses like multimedia and evolve an English language education policy for the benefit of the unemployed youth of NE.

UNI