Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Sunday asserted that there should be a separate ministry for the Himalayan states at the Centre because they provide multi-pronged benefits to the nation.
"There should be a separate ministry for the Himalayan states. The NITI Aayog and the Finance Commission have assured us the necessary financial support for the Himalayan states," Rawat said while addressing a press conference after the Himalaya States Conclave drew to a close here.
"For environmental services to the nation, the Himalayan states should be given a green bonus. The Himalaya states are the origin of most of the fresh water resources of the country," he added.
Earlier, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and other state leaders on Sunday arrived for the 'Conclave of the Himalayan States' here.
Besides Sitharaman, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Rawat, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio attended the conclave.
Along with various government officials, over 11 Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) state leaders participated in the conclave to discuss and deliberate upon the issues in the Himalayan region.
The state leaders met Finance Commission Chairman N K Singh, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Rajiv Kumar and Amitabh Kant, respectively to discuss the sustainable development of the Himalayan region.
The conclave hosted the Chief Ministers of the Himalayan states including - Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Mizoram and Nagaland, along with administrators and specialists.
IHR is endowed with rich vegetation and is home to almost 36% of India's total biodiversity. More than 41.5% area of IHR states is under forests, representing one-third of total forest cover of India.
( With inputs from ANI )