SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma while stressing on exploiting borders with South Asian countries for promoting trade and commerce in the region has called for opening of more border haats.
Addressing the high-level plenary session of the two-day Economic Cooperation Dialogue on Regional Connectivity and Border Special Development Zones in Eastern South Asia which began here on Monday, the Chief Minister said that there was a need to revive the past glory of trade and commerce between India and neighbouring countries to take the advantage of the untapped resources.
“North East is like an infant and it can grow taller provided it does not have malnutrition,” Sangma said, adding that the North East is important for many neighbouring countries.
He also added that North-East region is capable of contributing to the nation while pointing out that opening of more border haats in the region would act as a catalyst for development of the border areas in the region,
He also stressed on the need to develop more inland waterways to promote trade and commerce among the neighbouring countries and pointed out that there are many river ports in Bangladesh and its distance is less than even 500 kilometers from Meghalaya.
The High Commissioner of Bangladesh in India, Syed Muazzem Ali stressed on restoring link between India and Bangladesh that had existed for centuries.
He also called for the need to make Shillong-Guwahati-Dhaka bus service more user friendly and cost operative to attract people and asked the Government to provide better connectivity to the airports in the North East region.
“We should try to give visa on arrival in both the countries,” he said.
Secretary, Union Ministry of DoNER, Naveen Verma in his address, spoke of the Ministry’s commitment to address the issues of connectivity in the region and highlighted on the number of initiatives taken by the DoNER Ministry keeping in mind the region’s tourism potentialities.
Ram Muivah, Secretary, NEC, also spoke on the occasion. The programme is jointly organized by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Government of Meghalaya, Department of Commerce & Industries and NEC.
