Centre is investing heavily in northeast India, says PM Modi
The Hindu
Home Minister Amit Shah said post-Modi northeast is vastly improved from pre-Modi northeast in terms of funding, peace, development and connectivity
GUWAHATI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 18, 2022 said the Centre has been investing heavily in the north-east with his government’s motto being ‘Act fast for northeast’ and ‘Act first for northeast”.
Addressing the golden jubilee celebration of the North Eastern Council (NEC) in Meghalaya’s capital Shillong, he said the Centre’s is spending ₹7 lakh crore in the region compared to ₹2 lakh crore after India’s independence. Established in 1971 and formally inaugurated in 1972, the NEC is the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the north-eastern region comprising eight States.
Mr. Modi attributed the focus on the northeast to the change in the way the Centre has been looking at the region since 2014. “For us, the north-east in not the last part of the country, but the peace and development gateway for trade and other ties with Southeast Asian countries,” he said.
Slamming the previous governments for ignoring areas along the international borders in the region, he said the government’s vibrant border village programme would help develop these areas on a par with urban centres and prevent outmigration.
The Prime Minister noted that the number of airports in the region increased from nine to 16 and the number of flights increased from 900 to 1,900 in the last eight years. “Work is now under way to connect all the State capitals of the region by railway,” he said.
He also underscored the 50% increase in the length of national highways in the region since 2014, insisting that the infrastructure projects in the north-east gained momentum after the launch of the PM-DevINE scheme.
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