NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday unveiled a road map for all-round development of the northeast region by 2020 that will spur investment, reduce poverty, enhance connectivity and bring the region on par with the rest of the country.
Launching a charm offensive to woo the people of the northeast region who have often complained of being neglected and alienated from the mainstream, Singh formally released the “Northeastern Region Vision 2020” report in the presence of chief ministers and governors of the northeastern states.
Describing northeastern India as land of “rising sun” for India, Singh released “North Eastern Region Vision 2020.” Having been elected to Rajya Sabha for four terms from Assam, he expressed pleasure while releasing this document.
“As the adopted son of this region, as a representative in Parliament for people of this region, I thank all those who have been associated with the completion of this project of momentous importance,” he said.
The primary concern of his government for regional development in northeast is “connectivity and infrastructure development,” he said.
Over 1,000 students dressed in colorful ethnic attire of various northeastern states were present at Vigyan Bhavan here to witness this “historic initiative” and cheered when Singh said: “The time has come for the sun to shine on the northeastern region and to shine brightly.”
“The union government will do its utmost to make 2020 vision a reality. Infrastructure and connectivity are cornerstones of development of the region,” the prime minister said while calling for replacing violence in the insurgency-prone region with development.
Giving importance to vision document’s “stress on inclusiveness,” he said: “Growth and equity must converge in path of development and special efforts must be made to address concerns of the underprivileged and the marginalized sections of our population.”
With his government committed to “aam admi” (common man) through its flagship schemes, it is also “committed to all-round development of the northeastern region as a topmost national priority,” he said. “I greatly appreciate that poverty alleviation in all its dimensions is highlighted as the greatest priority for the region in this vision document and that is as it should be,” Singh asserted.
Pitching strongly for making the northeast region an economic hub, Minister for Development of the Northeastern Region Mani Shankar Aiyar said the region requires Rs.14 trillion ($25-30 billion) in investment and stressed that the development of the region will push India’s growth rate to double-digit figure.
Aiyar said the report was prepared after extensive consultations with all sections of society in northeast that included 12 public hearings in different places and was adopted by governors and chief ministers of northeastern states May 14.
— With input from agencies
