NE region key to ‘Act East’ policy: Jitendra Singh

Silchar: Northeastern region is the key to ‘Act East’ policy and gateway to Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday.
Addressing a seminar on ‘Economic Dependence on North-Eastern States of India and its bordering nations, Singh said Northeast has a huge potential which has remained unexplored all these years because of the different priorities of the earlier governments.
“Northeast is the key to ‘Act East’ policy and that if, in the years to come, India is to engage in serious trade and economic activity with the countries on the Eastern borders, including Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan, its success will depend largely on the extent to which the growth and development occurs in the Northeastern region,” he said here.
The Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern said the present government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only accords highest priority to the region, but has also made it a focus of its economic and diplomatic engagement across the eastern borders.
Singh said the Indo-Bangladesh agreement for the exchange of enclaves, paved the way for easy transport and movement between the two countries and it was a task which should have been accomplished at least 40 years ago, right at the time of the birth of Bangladesh, but was ignored.
“Similarly, rapid expansion of railway network in the region, including the rail track from Agartala to Bangladesh will shorten the journey time considerably and facilitate engagement by the two sides,” he said.
With a common lifestyle and common eating habits on the two sides of the eastern border, Singh said it is obvious that the products cultivated and grown in Northeast have the potential to find immediate takers in the countries across the eastern borders.
In last two years, the Minister said connectivity has been sought to be improved by improving road infrastructure and by bringing in more air flights and constructing new airports.
The Union Govern-ment’s decision to set up a ‘Film and Television Institute’ in Arunachal and its announcement to set up ‘Sports University’ in Manipur are aimed in this direction, he said. (PTI)