India is a vast country full of cultural and religious diversity. Northeast India has been an integral and important part of it. This part of India, rich in cultural diversity, natural beauty and talented people, has been a victim of extremism and apathy of the central government for years under the rule of the opposition. Northeast India never got the medium to fulfill their hopes and aspirations, but since assuming the office of Prime Minister in the year 2014, PM Modi has tried to give real recognition to the importance of Northeast India, to give importance to regional development and to develop it.
Addressing on the occasion of inauguration of greenfield airport ‘Doni Polo’ and other development projects in Arunachal Pradesh, PM Modi said that North East has witnessed a completely different era after independence. For decades, this area has been a victim of neglect and apathy. At that time, the people who made policies while sitting in Delhi only meant that somehow they could win the elections here. This situation continued for many decades. When Atal ji’s government was formed, for the first time an attempt was made to change it. She was the first government to form a separate ministry for the development of the North East, but the government that came after her did not take that initiative forward. After this, a new phase of change started after 2014, when you gave me the opportunity to serve. Earlier governments used to think that Arunachal Pradesh is so far away, North is so far away. The people living on the far-flung border were earlier considered to be the last village. But our government has done the work of considering them as not the last village, not the last end, but the first village of the country. As a result, the development of Northeast became the priority of the country.
Doni-Polo Airport is the fourth operational airport in Arunachal Pradesh. In the seven decades since independence, there were only 9 airports in the entire North East. While our government has built seven new airports in just eight years. There are many such areas here, which are now connected with air connectivity after 75 years of independence. Because of this, now the number of flights to and from the North East has more than doubled.
Since taking office, PM Modi has laid special emphasis on increasing the connectivity of Northeast India with the whole of India and the world. Today, rail connectivity has reached Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura which was earlier limited to Guwahati only and five more projects are in line.” With this, the length of National Highways in the North Eastern region has increased from 10,905 km in 2014-15 to the present. Has done 13,710 kms in it.
The Department of Telecom has launched a drive to connect 5,600 villages through a network of about 4,404 towers and at a cost of Rs 3,715 crore. In order to improve the power situation in the North Eastern region, an amount of Rs.10,003 crore has been spent since 2014-15.
The North East region has the potential to generate more than 1,28,000 MW of renewable energy and the Modi government is fast-tracking the task of fully harnessing this potential.
The new scheme, PM-DAVIN was announced in the Union Budget 2022-23 to address the lack of development in the North Eastern region. The announcement of PM-DAVIN is yet another example of the importance being given by the Modi government to the development of the North Eastern region. PM-DevINE is in addition to the resources available for the development of NER. It will not be a substitute for existing central and state schemes.
The objectives of PM-DEVINE are: (a) inclusive infrastructure budgeting in the spirit of PM Gati Shakti; (b) support social development projects based on the felt needs of the NER; (c) Strengthening livelihoods for youth and women (d) Filling developmental gaps in various sectors. An allocation of Rs 1,500 crore was made for the scheme in the initial phase this year.
Along with this, the Modi government laid special emphasis on providing continuous special assistance to all the ministries for development works in the North Eastern region. All Ministries and Departments of the Central Government are required to spend 10 per cent of the Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) from their allocation to benefit the North East region.
Under the leadership of PM Modi, the real creation of harnessing the vast potential of Northeast India has started. On the one hand, this creation will take this region on a new path of development, on the other hand, Northeast India will also play an important role in the development of the nation by keeping pace with other parts of the country.
