Modi for plan to make North East an economic hub

BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has asked his think tanks to draw up a comprehensive plan to make the north east region one of the economic hubs of the country.

Modi, who has made a couple of trips to the region during the current election campaign and accused the CPA government of neglecting it, is exploring setting up an expert group to advise him on how to revamp the Ministry of DONER (Development of North East Region) if NDA comes to power.

Sources said the Gujarat Chief Minister has asked his think tanks to draw up a comprehensive plan to tap the potential of the huge water resources in the region.

"North east water management is the need of the hour which will not only solve the perennial flood problem but will also solve the power crisis of the country," Modi had said at his one of the rallies in the region on Saturday.

He had also proposed at a recent meeting of the Chief Ministers of north east states send 1,6000 women police personnel to Gujarat so that they could create awareness about people on the region's rich culture and heritage, which in turn, would boost the tourism industry there.

Modi has also asked the party units in the north eastern states to focus on the aspirations of more than 400 insular ethnic groups in the region, which has 25 lok Sabha seats. Congress-led UPA has 21 of these seats.

The DONER ministry, which was set up by the Vajpayee government, is responsible for matters relating to the planning, execution and monitoring of  development schemes and projects in the north eastern region.