North East should be given top priority: Governor
SHILLONG: To commemorate the 85th birth anniversary of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Governor V. Shanmuganathan on Saturday inaugurated the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Center for Policy Research and Analysis at RGIIM Campus, Shillong in the presence of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, Naveen Verma, Secretary, DoNER, R. Muivah, Secretary, NEC, K. S. Kropha, Chief Secretary, Falguni Rajkumar, Chairman, BoG, IIM, Shillong, Prof Amitabha De, Director, RGIIM, Shillong among others.
In his inaugural address, the Governor said that the Centre will provide opportunities for the holistic development of northeastern region and also facilitate networking with other centers of excellence within the northeastern states. Stating that the potentiality and creativity of youths should not go into waste, he stressed on the need to put North East on top priority as far as developmental activities are concerned. The Governor also urged the Centre to focus on the creativity of the people especially in the bamboo and cane sector which is the potentiality of the region.
Mukul Sangma in his speech said that many policy decisions which are developed on the strength of the region based on the research and analysis will be guided by this Centre.
Many a times, we end up rolling ambitious programmes but the way it is executed becomes a reason for dislocation of good programmes, therefore, the whole support system and the institution partners available around us must be exploited to the fullest for the benefit of the people in the region, he added.
Dwelling at length on the issues of the NE region’s disconnection from the other parts of the country, the Chief Minister said that institutions and centres of learning can bridge those gaps and create a new ways of connectivity.
He informed that the State Government will have all the possible collaborative exercise with IIM in the implementation of the various programmes and initiatives of the Government.
He also urged the institute to collaborate with scientific communities and look at the possibilities as to how the Government can leverage upon some of the programmes that has been implemented.
Meanwhile, Naveen Verma said that the Ministry is looking to connect the North East with the markets of its neighbouring countries but it needs research South East Asian, adding that the Ministry will be very happy to inform the Prime Minister’s Office(PMO) about the setting up of the centre.
NEC Secretary, R Muivah who was also present on the occasion said that the setting up of the centre will greatly help in project formulation and its effective implementation of such projects in the region.
An MoU was also signed and exchanged between IIM, Shillong, DoNER and NEC.
The Centre will serve as an expert facilitation point for the NE States in policy making, strategic planning and effective implementation of various developmental schemes for the sectors as mentioned in the scope besides undertaking research and analysis on developmental issues of the various NE states as identified jointly or separately by MDoNER, NEC, RGIIMS and the states individually or collectively.
It will also network with other institutions of excellence within the NE states in various subject areas relevant to the NE and establish an institutional network for collaborative research, analysis and consultancy to provide the best knowledge back up for strategic planning in the NE states.
The Governor and the Chief Minister along with the students of various schools also released balloons to mark the birth anniversary of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.