Government of Japan has decided to invest an amount of 205.784 billion Yen, equivalent to approximately Rs. 13,000 crore, in several ongoing as well as new projects in different States of India’s North- Eastern region. This was disclosed here today by Union Minister for Northeast, Dr. Jitendra Singh, after a detailed meeting with the Japanese delegation led by Ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu. Some of the important projects in which Japan will collaborate include Guwahati Water Supply Project and Guwahati Sewage Project in Assam, Northeast Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project spread over Assam and Meghalaya, Northeast Network Connectivity Improvement Project in Meghalaya, Bio-diversity Conservation and Forest Management Project in Sikkim, Sustainable Forest Management Project in Tripura, Technical Cooperation Project for Sustainable Agriculture & Irrigation in Mizoram, Forest Management Project in Nagaland, etc. Dr. Jitendra Singh appreciated the Japanese contribution to the development and transformation of the North-Eastern region in the last three to four years. He said, in the times to come, new areas of collaboration will also be sought to be worked out, which could possibly include Bamboo-related collaboration. Significantly, it was the Modi Government which amended the 90-year old “Indian Forest Act of 1919” of the British Government to bring the home-grown Bamboo out of its purview , he added. The Ambassador also took up with Dr Jitendra Singh, who also happens to be Minister In-Charge Department of Space, the possibilities of Japanese collaboration with ISRO Space missions of India. He showed particular interest in India’s Lunar Missions to Moon. The Minister informed the Ambassador that ISRO has planned to launch its next Space Mission to Moon, “Chandrayaan-2”, in the month of July.
