Need to develop new city, 80% of Mizoram population lives in capital Aizawl: CM at Niti Aayog meet

Aizawl: Chief Minister Lalduhoma raised the need for developing a new city in Mizoram at the Niti Aayog meeting, stressing that 80 per cent of the state's population lives in the capital Aizawl.

Speaking at the meeting in New Delhi on Saturday, he said Aizawl has become congested because of this, according to an official statement issued on Sunday.

He proposed Thenzawl in Serchhip district, about 93 km from Aizawl, as the site for the new city, which will be able to accommodate 10-15 lakh residents, it said.

At the meeting, Lalduhoma also spoke about the key initiatives of the state government, including the 'Bana Kaih' scheme under which beneficiaries get collateral-free loans up to Rs 50 lakh with interest subvention of up to 100 per cent.

Other welfare schemes have also been introduced for entrepreneurs, and competitions are being organised to identify innovators, he said.

The CM said the state government has also developed a better investment policy to attract investors, and ITIs in the state have been strengthened by tying them up with industries.

He told the meeting that Mizoram has an unemployment rate of 2.2 per cent, and 45 per cent of its workforce is women.

Lalduhoma said his government has launched the 'Empowering Mizoram Sports' scheme to set up coaching and talent development centres across the state.

Maintaining that the state has an abundance of skilled and young talents, the CM said Mizoram was recently declared a fully literate state.

He said efforts were being made under the NITI Aayog state support missions, and all government departments have been instructed to submit action plans to achieve the goal of a developed India by 2047.