New Delhi: The 69th plenary meeting of the Northeast Council (NEC), which was inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 23 January 2021, successfully concluded today. This two-day event focused on making plans for the all-round development of the North-Eastern region where the progress made by various schemes so far was discussed.
During this time there was a lot of brainstorming on improving the ranking by increasing investment and easing the process of doing business in the region. Development projects related to livelihoods, entrepreneurship, infrastructure, connectivity, and other related areas were discussed in the Northeast region in various technical sessions.
Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (Independent Charge), Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of development in his address to the closing ceremony said He aims to bring the development of the North-East region to the level of other developed states.
Dr. Jitendra Singh accepted that the pace of development of the North Eastern Region under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be maintained in the last six-seven years. The unanimous opinion on this across the country is proof that the development of this region has been fast-tracked.
He also said that the expectations are very high and the Prime Minister wants to achieve more than what has been achieved so far. He expressed confidence that with the dedication of all states and various ministries, the Northeast will be able to overcome all challenges in the near future. The minister said that he is also proud that his ministry has done what he said and has met the expectations of the people. In fact, he has succeeded in exceeding expectations in collaboration with his ministry colleagues and other stakeholders.
Dr. Jitendra Singh patiently listened to the presentations made by senior officials of various ministries and departments of the central government and requested the secretaries of the ministries to provide all possible assistance to the states of the North East.
Dr. Singh further said that while the rest of the world would be looking for an economic revival in the post-Covid-19 era, the Northeast region would lead the growth story of India. He also said that after Covid-19, the Northeast region will be one of the favorite trading destinations of India and bamboo will become a major pillar of economic activity. He advised all the states to prepare themselves to use the favorable situation in the North-East region to meet the challenges post-Covid-19.
The minister urged all the states to use the funds allocated by various ministries so that the benefits of the schemes reach the last person. Dr. Singh said that the rate of utilization of funds under the North Eastern Council has been encouraging and it is expected that funds will also be put to optimum utilization under other ministries allotted to the region.