Re-opening of trade routes will open gates of economic development: Assam Governor

GUWAHATI: Assam Governor Prof. Jagdish Mukhi said that the north-eastern region of the country has the potential to become future hub of organic products, renewable energy, international tourism and the country's gateway to ASEAN countries.

Speaking on the brain storming session of a conclave on Atmanirbhar North East through science and technology interventions at Cotton University on Tuesday, Governor Prof. Mukhi said that the government at the Centre has been very committed for the last seven years to rapid infrastructure and economic development of the region. He also said that considering the region's strategic location, the Central Government under the leadership of the Prime Minister took several initiatives to develop international routes with the 10 ASEAN countries.

The Governor said that the re-opening of the trade routes with the ASEAN countries, which were closed for the region since Independence, will re-open the gates of economic development of the entire region. Commenting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's emphasis on 4 C's, that is culture, commerce, connectivity and capacity building of the entire Northeast, the Governor said that the objective of transforming Indian economy into a five trillion-dollar economy will not be possible without unfolding the commercial and economic potential of the Northeast. The NDA government, therefore, as a complete deviation from the earlier stand of the Central Government, took keen interests for the development of the north-eastern region.

He emphasized that a concerted and planned effort for the rapid and systematic development of the Northeast started in 2001 with the creation of a separate ministry, that is Ministry for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER). Moreover, the Act East Policy thoroughly overhauled the focus of development of the Northeast to ensure action-oriented project and outcome- based policy. This new approach created and developed a new narrative of development for the entire Northeast to utilize its potential of becoming the organic hub, international tourism and India's gateway to ASEAN countries, the Governor observed.

The conclave, organized by North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR) in collaboration with Vijnana Bharati, Unnat Bharat Abhiyan and Cotton University, was attended, among others by the Director General of NECTAR, Prof. Arun Sharma, Director, CSIR National Institute of Scientific Communications and Policy Research, Dr.Ranjana Agarwal, and Vice-Chancellor, Cotton University Prof. Bhabesh Ch. Goswami.

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