Eleven IHR state leaders to meet Nirmala Sitharaman, put forth issues in Himalayan region

As many as 11 Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) state leaders are set to meet Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and others to discuss and deliberate upon the issues in the Himalayan region.

Uttarakhand will hold the first-ever Himalayan states' conclave in Mussoorie on July 28.

The prime focus of the meeting will be sustainable development of the Himalayan region.

Besides Sitharaman, the state leaders will meet Finance Commission Chairman N K Singh, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Rajiv Kumar and Amitabh Kant, respectively.

The conclave will also host the Chief Ministers of the Himalayan states - Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Mizoram and Nagaland, along with administrators and specialists.

The discussions would be around environmental protection, Himalayan culture and economic development, according to official sources.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said, "We will focus on solving the Himalayan states' problems in the conclave. This conclave will pave the way for making financial resources available for the Himalayan states in the future."

"The NITI Aayog and the Finance Commission will also be able to accurately ascertain the ground realities in Himalayan states," he added.

The key points adopted at the Himalayan conclave would be presented as a draft to the NITI Aayog for developing policies for the region's development.