The union home minister said that the development journey of Northeast in the last six and a half years after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister 2014 is far ahead if compared to the development in the last 70 years
TFM Desk
Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday discussed the developmental and security issues with the chief ministers of all the North-Eastern States at a review meeting. He also laid the foundation stone for the Multipurpose Convention Centre and Exhibition Facility of the North Eastern Space Applications Centre-NESAC, in Shillong. President of NESAC Amit Shah also presided over the high-level review meeting regarding the operation of Space Science and Technology Centre.
Amit Shah in his address said that the development journey of Northeast in the last six and a half years after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister 2014 is far ahead if compared to the development in the last 70 years. Modi has worked to connect North-East with rail connectivity, air connectivity and road connectivity as well as I-T connectivity. The prime minister called the eight NE states as Ashtalakshmi and today all the eight with the mutual cooperation these states are moving ahead on the path of development, he added.
The union home minister had directed the use of NESAC for flood management in the North Eastern States in the NESAC meeting in January; in today’s meeting he was told that drafts of 110 projects have been prepared in this regard. Expressing happiness over this, Amit Shah directed to store water in big ponds to make Northeast flood free
The union home minister said that In comparison to the Thirteenth Finance Commission, 14th Finance Commission provided financial resources of more than 251% to the Northeast and in the upcoming 3 years, developmental works will be done to provide all the facilities to the villages by using it prudently.
He added that earlier there was talk of infiltration, terror and corruption in the Northeast but today there is talk of development, connectivity, infrastructure and development. He said that under the leadership of Modi, the issues troubling the North-Eastern region for decades have been resolved, which includes the border dispute with Bangladesh, the peace pact with NLFT, resolution of problems of Bru-Refugees in Tripura and Mizoram and the Bodo Peace Accord.
Amit Shah said that NESAC’s role will be of utmost importance in making the North-East drug free and terrorism free and developed. Our plans will get scientific basis through NESAC Society and on this foundation a developed North-East will be made. With the coordination of MHA and NESAC, a single window system will be made so that the states can get real time information about floods and other disasters, he added.
Amit Shah assured that there is no limitation on budget for North-East, but there should be proper utilization of expenditure, if targets are achieved, then the Government of India will have no problem in investing.
He also added that the location of North-East is geographically remote and challenging, so there is a need to work out a strategy to accelerate the development. He said in the upcoming times, there should be coordination to reduce disaster risk to zero. There should be coordination between disaster management and NESAC which can provide warning of lightning about 36 hours in advance.
He also asserted that the Corona period shook the world and came as a big threat to the entire human race, even at such a time, the priority of the Government of India has been North East. Whether to send ventilators, oxygen cylinders or provision of medicines, priority has been given to North-East by the Ministry of Home Affairs and also priority in terms of vaccination, priority is given to North-East.
Amit Shah said that it is a matter of great pride for all of us that Manipur’s daughter Mirabai Chanu won the silver medal for India in the 49 kg weightlifting category at the Tokyo Olympics today. In the meeting with the Chief Ministers of North- Eastern region Amit Shah emphasized on the importance of making the terrorism free North-East.
Appreciating everyone for the remarkable improvement in the security situation in the North-Eastern states in the last years, Amit Shah asserted for early implementation of the peace agreements. In this context, the Home Minister referred to the solution of decades old problems like Bru resettlement in Tripura and the Bodo agreements in Assam.
Amit Shah requested the Chief Ministers to resolve the border disputes of the states expeditiously in a cordial atmosphere by mutual consultation.
The Union Home Minister said that the Government of India under the leadership of Modi has taken many far-reaching steps to develop the infrastructure of the North Eastern States under the “Act East” policy. The northeastern states are being linked with the ports of Chittagong in Bangladesh and Sittwe in Myanmar. Important roads of North Eastern states are being upgraded by making them National Highways and hill states like Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram are being connected by rail.
Amit Shah stressed on the promotion of tourism keeping in view the natural beauty of the northeastern states. The meeting was attended by the Minister of DoNER (DoNER) G.Kishan Reddy, Minister of Science & Technology and Department of Space Dr. Jitendra Singh and Minister of State for DoNER B L Verma, Union Home Secretary, Chief Secretaries of all North Eastern States and Director General of Police and other senior officers were also present.