CORRESPONDENT
ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein Friday appreciated the significant contributions made by North East Council (NEC) to the socio-economic development of northeast states in the past five decades.
Attending the Golden Jubilee celebration of NEC here, Mein said, "Despite a 25-year gap in the beginning of development processes in the North East compared to other parts of the country, the NEC's Golden Jubilee, coinciding with the Azadi Ka Amrit-Mahotsav, is symbolic."
"As we celebrate the Golden Jubilee of NEC, we would also like to take firm steps to achieve our centenary goal and work on NER Vision 2047," the deputy chief minister added.
He said, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and with the guidance of Home Minister Amit Shah, who is also the chairman of the Council, the developmental gaps in the North Eastern states have been reduced significantly in the past couple of years.
He pointed out that Modi's commitment towards the development of the north eastern region has always been paramount. He also highlighted the announcement of the first budget in Amrit Kaal, which would be guided by seven priorities such as inclusive development, reaching the last mile, unleashing the potential and green growth which can steer the development of regions like the NER.
The deputy chief minister further highlighted the significant enhancement in the budget outlay for the DoNER ministry during the financial year 2023-24, informing that the total budget estimate for 2023-2024 is Rs 5892 crores, which will be utilised in the development of northeast and to fulfill the dreams of the people of the region.
Mein appreciated the council for significantly helping Arunachal Pradesh in its infrastructure development and sanctioning a total of 221 projects in the state, out of which 154 projects have been completed and a total of 33 projects are ongoing.
He said that the NEC has contributed to developing critical infrastructure in Arunachal Pradesh, such as the iconic civil secretariat building and the state Legislative Assembly.
The deputy chief minister suggested that the need is for strategic planning regarding the future pursuits of the council in the next 50 years, which should be taken up by NEC to connect the region with various knowledge partners at regional, national and international platform. He also opined to ponder into the procedural delay in the implementation of the project under NEC as North East region has short working season owing to heavy rainfall area. Mein assured NEC that the state government would work together with the council to make Arunachal Pradesh one of the most sustainably developed regions of the nation.
NEC Planning Advisor C. H. Kharshing and state principal secretary Dr. Sharat Chauhan also attended the function.
To mark the occasion, marathon race with the theme 'Drugs Choro, Khel Mein Joro' was also organized by the Planning & Investment department with the support of NEC and a symposium on 'Contribution of NEC in the sustainable Growth of Arunachal Pradesh' was also conducted during the technical session.
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