SHILLONG: Union minister of science and technology, earth sciences, forests, environment and climate change, Harsh Vardhan , who inaugurated the Institute of Bio-resources and Sustainable Development Meghalaya at Upper Shillong here on Saturday said the northeast is a treasure house of plants, animals and microbial resources and is amongst the top mega-biodiversity hotspots of the world."The IBSD has been set up to identify the rich biodiversity and unique bio-resources of the state that can boost the bio-economy and generate jobs for the unemployed youth through bio-entrepreneurship," the minister said.Vardhan also highlighted the achievements, activities and initiatives of various developmental projects undertaken by the central government in the region to ensure all-round development of the northeastern states at par with the rest of the country.The Union minister also appealed to the people of the state to fulfil the "green social responsibility" by contributing towards developing a social movement by undertaking one 'green good deed a day' by strengthening the bio-resources and developing a sustainable development programme. "The list of green good deeds can be accessed through an app," he added. Hamlet Dohling, state minister for urban affairs and IT in his speech said Meghalaya is rich in bio-resources and has vast potential to contribute to the nation. "The increasing population of the state is putting pressure on its biodiversity and therefore judicious harnessing of the bio-resources and sustainable development is the only way forward to pass on a secure future to the coming generations," Dohling said.He called upon all stakeholders to work together with the IBSD to protect and preserve the rich biodiversity of the state by creating awareness on various issues endangering the environment.The minister also urged the IBSD to take up an action plan to develop the bio-resources of the state as a measure of sustainable use of resources and to develop local specific biotechnological intervention on the unique bio-resources of the state to enhance farmers' productivity and generate employment opportunities.IBSD director Dinabandhu Sahoo said the institute is a national institute under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Union ministry of science and technology. "The main mandate of the IBSD is the conservation and sustainable utilization of bio-resources for the socio-economic development of the region," he said.

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