The Mizoram Congress flagship programme – New Land Use Policy (NLUP) – was abolished by the NLUP general body at a meeting held in the New Capital Complex Secretariat Conference Hall.
The programme has been done away with as the new government – Mizo National Front (MNF) – plans to introduce its own flagship programme – Socio-Economic Development Policy (SEDP).
The MNF government in the state plans to bring the NULP beneficiaries under SEDP. The NLUP programme had over 1.6 lakh beneficiaries in the state in total.
The flagship programme was established as a society under Mizoram Societies Registration Act, 2005. The NLUP programme’s aim was to develop and give all farmers in the state suitable, permanent and stable trades and self-sufficiency in food production.
The other objectives of NLUP included putting an end to wasteful traditional shifting cultivation and development of suitable land for wet rice cultivation to attain self-sufficiency in production of rice and vegetables.
Under the scheme, beneficiaries were given financial aid of Rs 1 lakh each in two instalments – Rs 50,000 or 50 per cent given as the first instalment. The flagship programme was conceived in 1984 and implemented on a small scale from 1985 to 1992.
The programme was again revived in 2011 after the Congress came to power in the 2008 elections in the state.