Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Aizawl: Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma marked Independence Day in Aizawl by setting a new course for the state. He wants a self-reliant economy built on food security and better livelihoods. The government is ditching old habits. It aims to stop relying on outside sources for basic goods.
"We are taking steps to build a stronger system of governance and a self-reliant, more developed state, while improving the living standards of the people," Lalduhoma said. His Zoram People's Movement government prioritizes the Bana Kaih, or Handholding, scheme to drive this change.
The state launched a Rs 20-crore venture capital fund to help young entrepreneurs. It is also pushing the Industrial and Investment Policy 2025 and setting up an Investment Promotion Agency. Agriculture remains a core pillar. The state paid farmers Rs 140 crore in support prices during 2025 and another Rs 22 crore in 2026. A new Rs 30.13-crore ginger processing unit in Champhai is underway to boost farmer incomes.
Other sectors are growing. Oil palm now covers 1,607 hectares, netting farmers Rs 10.53 crore from 7,225 metric tonnes of produce. Off-season tomatoes and cabbage brought in Rs 40 crore last year. The government is also putting money into livestock, fisheries, and sericulture.
Bana Kaih now reaches beyond business. It funds drug rehabilitation, helping 2,200 people through church and volunteer partnerships. It also targets sports. The Empowering Mizoram Sports initiative trains athletes for the 2036 Olympic Games. For jobs, the state runs Eizawnna Kailawn and Rahbi Chhertu programmes.
Fiscal health is improving. Tax collection hit Rs 1,278.55 crore for 2025-26 under GST 2.0 reforms. A Rs 1,000-crore Asian Development Bank loan will fund universal healthcare, with the Union government covering 90 per cent of the debt. Infrastructure is also expanding. The state earmarked Rs 611.65 crore for VB-GRAM and upgraded 109 border villages under VVP-II. Authorities built 273 rural libraries and finished 25,433 houses through PMAY-Gramin. The state also holds 1.67 lakh quintals of rice as a monsoon reserve.
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