GUWAHATI: Assam chief minister, Sarbananda Sonowal urged the North Eastern Council to play an important role in the implementation of Act East policy with special focus on issues relating to trade, investment, tourism, connectivity and building relations with Southeast Asian countries in close coordination with various central ministries.
Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has outlined his vision for development of Northeast through improvement of connectivity, expeditious completion of infrastructure projects and provision of basic amenities in every household, Sonowal expressed confidence that the NEC as a planning body would be successful in giving a renewed push to development in the region under the leadership of Union home minister and NEC chairman, Amit Shah.
In order to project Northeast as a hub of opportunities and generate awareness in ASEAN region, Sonowal requested the NEC to start hosting a festival highlighting Northeast in each of the ASEAN countries to project its rich heritage, culture, handloom and handicrafts, industrial and tourist potential.
He also proposed for youth exchange programmes between Northeast India and ASEAN with focus on sports and culture besides setting up of a language academy to facilitate teaching as well as research on different languages spoken in the Northeast vis a vis ASEAN and BBIN countries.
The chief minister requested the NEC to provide special assistance to the North Eastern states to realise their export potential and suggested that the existing North East Industrial Development Scheme 2017 could be made friendlier to reap rich dividends of the business potential of the region in view of the Centre’s Act East Policy.
Underlining state government’s initiatives to promote organic farming in a big way, Sonowal further urged the NEC to provide necessary support to the Assam government for setting up an organic agriculture university stating that a proposal with detailed project report for the same has already been submitted to the planning body.
Further stating that flood, erosion and landslide has assumed alarming proportion not only in Assam but in the entire north eastern region, he urged the government to consider river erosion as eligible calamity for providing assistance under NDRF and SDRF.
He also sought holistic intervention in the entire river basin to attend the problem of flood and erosion and expressed hope that the Northeast Water Management Authority would be successful in putting in place a permanent solution to the long-standing problem.
Sonowal also requested necessary steps to consider a dedicated Disaster Mitigation Fund exclusively for the Northeast to enable the state governments to take preventive measures against the natural calmities.
Urging the NEC to tap the waterways potential of the region, the chief minister observed that expressways on both banks of the Brahmaputra would benefit all Northeastern states in promoting safer and faster transport.
Sonowal further requested the NEC and DoNER to set up more medical colleges apart from establishing Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas in the region. He also underlined the need of a special scheme to protect the forest wealth of the region.