Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki on Thursday pleaded the Centre to consider re-opening of the historic Stilwel Road for establishing border trade between India and South East Asian countries for economic development of the region as part of ‘Look East Policy’.
“The chief pre-requisite for a meaningful Look-East policy is land connectivity and re-opening of this road will help the region in manifold ways,” Tuki said while addressing the National Development Council (NDC) meeting at New Delhi today to finalize the 12th Five year Plan, official sources said here.
It has been almost two decades since the Look East Policy of India, and subsequently ‘Look East through North-East’ doctrine was conceptualised.
However, the progress on ground on various aspects which were originally envisioned, like border trade and commerce, controlling cross border movement of UG elements, increase in flow of information, cultural exchanges and people to people contact has been minimal, he said.
“In the absence of such progress, there hasn’t been any tangible benefit that has accrued to the North-eastern region in particular although several years have passed since we adopted this policy,” he pointed out.
He informed, most of the 1,726 km long road is now in a usable condition and only about 160 km portion in Myanmar needs renovation and repairs. Opening of this road provides direct connectivity to Yunnan province of China. It is in national interest to build this 160 km portion through an agency like BRO and open this road for trade and commerce at the earliest.
Major items of trade from Myanmar would be valuable timber (teak), precious gems, medicinal plants and other agricultural products, he said.
“On similar lines, tourist circuits with South-east Asian nations have to be opened.
As for instance, a Buddhist tourist circuit from Thailand to Myanmar to Arunachal Pradesh could become commercially viable within a short span of its launch,” he said. (PTI)