GANGTOK, 13 Jan: Arunachal Pradesh Governor KT Parnaik suggested initiating cooperation between Arunachal and Sikkim in capacity-building, exposure visits, and joint training programmes to strengthen human resources in both states.
He said this during a meeting with his Sikkim counterpart Om Prakash Mathur at the Lok Bhavan here in Sikkim on Monday.
Parnaik, who is on a two-day official visit to Sikkim, shared the rich cultural heritage, ethnic diversity, and immense tourism potential of Arunachal – ranging from ecotourism and adventure tourism to spiritual and cultural circuits – with Mathur, and proposed structured exchange programmes for students, young entrepreneurs, and government officials, particularly in the horticulture and allied sectors.
“Such exchanges,” he said, “would enable sharing of best practices in organic farming, high-value crops, post-harvest management, value addition, and market linkages.”
Emphasising the shared strengths and common aspirations of the two states, the governor observed that, as India’s first fully organic state and a rapidly developing tourism destination, Sikkim offers valuable lessons, while Arunachal holds vast untapped potential.
Parnaik said that deeper cooperation between the two states could yield mutual benefits in areas such as sustainable tourism, eco-friendly infrastructure, environmental conservation, skill development, and promotion of local products.
Collaborative efforts in these sectors, he said, would enhance livelihoods and at the same time strengthen people-to-people bonds and reinforce the spirit of cooperative federalism among the Himalayan states. (Lok Bhavan)
