Mizoram budget session begins; Guv's address focuses on agriculture, sports & conservation

Aizawl, Feb 19: The much-anticipated 30-day Budget Session of the Mizoram Legislative Assembly commenced on Wednesday, with Governor Vijay Kumar (VK) Singh delivering his maiden address, marking a significant moment for the House.

In his first speech as Governor during the Budget Session 2025, Singh outlined key government initiatives focused on agriculture, sports, and environmental conservation, all aimed at ensuring sustainable economic growth.

Among the major highlights was the FOCUS initiative, which aims to support 55,000 households by promoting climate-resilient farming across Champhai, Mamit, Serchhip, Kolasib, Khawzawl, and Saitual districts.

Singh also shed light on the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-Oil Palm), under which Mizoram has cultivated 1,734 hectares of land across Kolasib, Mamit, Lunglei, Lawngtlai, and Serchhip districts.

“During this fiscal year, Oil Palm growers in Mizoram have sold 5509 MT of Oil palm and 703 MT of Crude palm oil to the partner companies,” he said.

Additionally, an Oil Palm Seed Garden in West Serzawl, Mamit District, is expected to begin high-quality seed production by 2025-26.

Turning to sports development, the Governor spoke about the EMS Programme, launched under the Mizoram Bana Kaih Scheme 2024 with a ₹2.5 crore budget.

The initiative, following a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, aims to train young athletes aged 8-15 years to compete at the Olympic level and align with India’s Olympic 2036 vision.

The Mizoram Sports Conclave 2024, held in June, focused on enhancing sports infrastructure and boosting the state's global recognition in athletics.

On the environmental front, Singh lauded Mizoram for recording India’s highest forest cover at 84.53%, as per the Forest Survey of India Report 2021.

Nearly 10% of the state’s land is under protection through two national parks, seven wildlife sanctuaries, and one tiger reserve.

The government is implementing conservation projects to restore and expand forest cover while integrating climate change adaptation measures.

Additional Key Developments

• Agriculture Growth: Farmers receive support for sustainable practices, boosting productivity.

• Sports Infrastructure: Government committed to expanding training facilities.

• Environmental Protection: Programs in place to maintain ecological balance.

• Urban Development: Over 16,917 individual toilets and 1,037 community/public toilets have been constructed under Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0.

• Public Health: 1,33,060 rural households provided with tap water connections under Jal Jeevan Mission.

• Education Initiatives: Recruitment of 648 primary, 371 middle, and 350 high school teachers to address teacher shortages.

• Employment & Skill Development: The Mizoram Youth Commission has launched skill training programs in partnership with industry leaders to enhance employment opportunities.