SHILLONG: Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday the idea of New India cannot be a reality till the concept of New North East does not materialise.
Speaking at the concluding function of the 67th Plenary of the North Eastern Council here, Singh said the target to achieve a New North East should be completed as India aspires to emerge as ‘New India’ by 2022.
According to him, there will be a ‘New North East’ through better road connectivity and information technology. “If we can provide quality broadband services in the region, the youth will find employment opportunities closer home,” Singh said and added that this can prevent brain drain.
He said ITIs and polytechnic institutes in the region will contribute to skill development and in this regard, NEC can set up a regional institute for skill development to help generate employment. The Centre has implemented North East Industrial Development Scheme but there is no desired level of investment in the region, Singh said and asked the states to create an investor-friendly environment. Many projects in the region have been delayed due to land acquisition hurdles and forest clearance.
“The central government schemes should be implemented with active support and cooperation of state governments in the region,” the Union minister said.
Road map for Act East
On the Act East Policy, he said a road map should be prepared and implemented in a time-bound manner, adding that the projects which have been delayed now should be completed. On the law and order front, the minister said insurgency affected development of the region for a long time and now as the situation has improved, all the northeastern states should take advantage of it and the government should adopt strategies to strengthen law and order in the region.
Agriculture growth
The home minister said there is a need to accelerate agricultural growth to fulfil the Prime Minister’s dream of doubling farmers’ income by 2022. He suggested that the Railway Ministry can help in exporting perishable commodities and horticulture produce using superfast AC wagons. “The North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited can be revived for marketing of agricultural produce and the North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project and the self-help groups can also help in this regard,” he said and stressed the need to prevent leakages in the system and ensu
