Conrad moves PM for replication of 1917 iTeams
SHILLONG: An alternative road from Mahendraganj in West Garo Hills to West Bengal via Bangladesh and access to Chittagong port will boost export business in the North East.
This was communicated to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma during their meeting on Saturday in New Delhi.
In a statement issued on Monday, the chief minister maintained that access should be accorded to Chittagong port in Bangladesh to benefit the North East.
Sangma said if accessibility is accorded to Chittagong port in Bangladesh, which would be roughly about 600 km from Guwahati, via Shillong and Dawki, it would benefit the region and the potential of export will significantly go up in the long run.
He expressed concern that the North East accounts for merely 1 per cent export because of several constraints while pointing out that the nearest port is Kolkata which is 1000 km from Guwahati.
“There should be an alternative road between Hili in Bengal and Mahendraganj in Meghalaya via Bangladesh, which is merely 110 km and would facilitate in road communication, trade and business”, he said.
According to Sangma, North East is endowed with huge untapped natural resources and is acknowledged as the gateway for the country’s “Act East Policy”.
The chief minister suggested eight-lane highways between Guwahati and Chittagong to facilitate promotion of trade and business in North East.
He said the key constraint to the growth has been poor infrastructure and limited connectivity, both within the region as well as with the rest of the country.
He pointed that if there is any problem in the narrow stretch of land in Bengal, termed as the “Chicken Neck”, the communication between North East would be disconnected altogether. The chief minister said a parallel road between India and Bangladesh would also ensure back up for national security and trade aspects would be faster. He urged the Prime Minister to take up the matter with his Bangladesh counterpart.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the toll free number for farmers, 1917 iTeams, and suggested it would be apt for the rest of the country.
The chief minister said that 1917 is a historic year for the country as Champaran Satyagraha was started by Mahatma Gandhi in that year and this year being the 150th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, Sangma suggested to the prime minister that it would be apt to start iTeams initiated by the Meghalaya government in other parts of the country to help farmers.
The objectives of 1917 iTeams are to connect buyers and sellers, act as an advisory on farm related issues, help farmers with regard to transportation of their goods and provide other technical support.
The chief minister said that through the system, the farmers are connected to local truck owners, which also facilitates local entrepreneurship.
“Prime Minister has liked the idea and has assured to replicate the initiative started by Meghalaya government,” Sangma said. )