New Delhi: Close on the heels of China cautioning India over the construction of the Brahmaputra Bridge, Minister for North-East Development Jitendra Singh on Sunday said developmental activities in the North-eastern region will not be stopped under any circumstances and will go on unrestricted.
”Developmental activities in the North-eastern region will continue whatever be the security scenario,” said Singh, who is also Minister of State in the PMO told UNI.
His remark came when asked about recent aggressive statements by Beijing over the Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh and its caution to India after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a bridge connecting Assam with Arunachal Pradesh.
The bridge which is 9.15 km-long would reduce travel time between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh from six to one hour. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as ”disputed” area.
Singh asserted that the Ministry was determined to increase more developmental fund to the north-eastern states to enhance connectivity, including in the border areas. China’s warning to India against had come last week after Modi inaugurated the Dhola-Sadiya Bridge over the Brahmputra on May 26 — the day his Government completed three years in office.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry official had last week hoped India would adopt a cautious and restrained attitude until the border issue was settled with China. China had earlier also urged India not to entertain Dalai Lama in Arunachal Pradesh. Moreover, in April Beijing for the first time announced ”standardised” names for six places in Arunachal Pradesh.
However, undeterred by these warnings and cautions from China, India has decided to go ahead with the development of infrastructure in the North East. Singh said there was so far no airport in Arunachal Pradesh, but the land was now being acquired, and the first airport in Sikkim would be operational soon, which would provide direct air connectivity to the tiny Himalayan state.
Besides rail connectivity was also being upgraded in the Northeastern states. He said the security scenario in the North-east was far better now, which was providing a conducive environment for development.
“The development of the North-east was part of the country’s Act East Policy as without development of infrastructure, movement of goods and people across eastern borders cannot take place,” the minister said.
The minister also said the region had suffered a long neglect in the past, and had developed a psychological divide between the people of the region and the rest of the country which the Modi Government was trying to bridge.
The people of North-east were being left out at the psychological level. Every month now we are holding a camp in every state at which officials from Delhi come to have feel of the ground reality, he said.
”Now we are making rest of India come to the doorstep of the North East,” he said. (UNI)
