Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh released here today the first-ever Coffee Table Book on Northeast published by the North Eastern Council (NEC).The hard-cover Coffee Table book, consisting of 180 pages, is mainly a pictorial and visual depiction of the various facets of Northeast with messages from President of India, Prime Minister and DoNER Minister in his capacity as Chairman NEC as well as from the Governors and Chief Ministers of all the eight States of North-Eastern Region.Speaking on the occasion, Dr Jitendra Singh said, in the last two years, the development activity in the North-Eastern Region has made rapid strides, primarily because of the personal interest and high priority accorded to the region by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. This is evident from the fact that no Prime Minister had attended a plenary meeting of the NEC at its Headquarters in Shillong in the last 40 years before Shri Narendra Modi addressed the 65th Plenary Session of NEC on 27th May this year, he added.Dr Jitendra Singh said, it is his considered belief that in order to make India’s “Act East Policy” more effective and fruitful, we will also have to strengthen and reinforce our resources proximal to the eastern borders.
In this regard, he referred to the currently under construction rail-link to Bangladesh from Tripura, which is being funded by the Ministry of DoNER on the Indian side from Agartala to Akhaura.The Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh accomplished by the present Government is also something which could not be achieved in the last 45 years since the Independence of Bangladesh, said Dr Jitendra Singh, adding that by doing so, there is not only ease of travel on the eastern borders, but it would also benefit bilateral trade and business.Dr Jitendra Singh also disclosed that beginning October 3, 2016, two new flights will be introduced between Guwahati and Aizawl, and Guwahati and Silchar. This, he said, will be in addition to the first-ever flight from New Delhi to Dimapur in Nagaland started from April 1, 2015 and later, the first-ever direct flight to Aizawl, also started by the present government.While Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya emerged on the Rail map of India for the first time, Dr Jitendra Singh said, most of the North-Eastern States will get a broad-gauge rail track in the next few years, while Sikkim has achieved the distinction of becoming India’s first “Organic State” and also the first state with 100 percent sanitation coverage. He also expressed satisfaction that in the Smart City list released yesterday by Union Minister of Urban Development, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, two cities of Northeast namely Kohima in Nagaland and Namchi in Sikkim have found a place. He hoped that all these unique distinctions achieved by Northeast in the last two years will be showcased for a wider awareness and publicity through the Coffee Table book released today.Among those present on the occasion were Members of Parliament Shri Ramen Deka and Shri Jitendra Choudhary, Secretary DoNER Shri Naveen Verma, Member NEC Shri C.K. Das, Secretary NEC Shri Ram Muivah, Joint Secretaries and Senior Officers of Union Ministry of DoNER and NEC.