Highlighting that India’s North-eastern States are country’s gateway to South East Asia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the BJP-led Central Government has been stressing on improving the rail and road network as well as the waterways in the region. Modi was addressing a public rally at Polo Ground in Shillong.
Before attending the rally, the Prime Minister addressed the plenary session of the North East Council (NEC) and inaugurated three trains, a daily from Jiribam in Manipur to Silchar in Assam, Bhairabi in Mizoram to Silchar in Assam and from Kamakhya in Assam to Katra in Jammu by pressing a button from Shillong.
Also, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for an international multi-sports stadium at Ampati in Meghalaya’s Garo Hills.
“My Government has been pro-actively following up the Act East policy. I consider North-east as a gateway to the South East Asia. It is our mission to upgrade infrastructure in road, rail, telecom, power and in waterways. As part of the mission today I have inaugurated three new trains in the region. We are committed to development of the northeast,” he said.
“Since the formation of the NDA Government at the Centre, we have spent more than Rs 10,000 crore in the rail sector in the North-east. The Railway Ministry is planning to invest another Rs 5,000 crore for rail connectivity in the region. While Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh were brought under rail map of India last year, Agartala in Tripura was connected with the broad gauge line recently,” he said.
The Prime Minister termed the inauguration of three new trains as a historic development for the region and said that the Central Government is opening up both road and rail to the neighbouring countries, which will boost the economic development in the region.
“The Central Government has also incorporated a national corporation called National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation for development of highways in the region.
The corporation is constructing three new bridges over Brahmaputra River and 34 road projects in the North-east to construct about 1,000-km of road at the cost of Rs 10,000 crore,” he said.
Modi added that the Central Government has also proposed heavy investment in power sector to provide 24x7x365 days of electricity to the people of the region and added that a comprehensive telecommunication is also mooted for the region by the Centre to boost internet connectivity through an I-way in the region.
The Prime Minister also thanked the people of the region to take advantage of the Cental Government schemes like Prime Minister’s Mudra Bank, Prime Ministers’ Jan Dhan Yojana etc. He said while six lakh people of the North-east had taken loan worth Rs 2,800 crore under the Mudra Bank, 93 lakh people have opened bank accounts under the Jan Dhan Yojana.