Miles to go on Act East Policy: NEC Secretary

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Feb 10:  North Eastern Council (NEC) Secretary Ram Muivah said that much is left to be done for proper implementation of the Act East Policy. “Act East Policy can be a reality if stress is laid upon connectivity, commerce and culture,” Muivah said.

Muivah was delivering a lecture on ‘India’s Act East Policy and North Eastern Council’ organized by Gauhati University’s Department of Sociology.

Muivah exerted that India’s trade with South East Asian Countries is worth millions of dollars but the Northeast is only getting a per cent of the pie. He said that due to lack proper connectivity commerce with the neighboring countries is not thriving. “The Northeast shares 98 per cent intertiol borders with Chi and Myanmar. We have to unlock these 98 per cent borders for the Northeast to flourish,” he said.

“Aruchal Pradesh shares 500 km and galand shares 300 km borders with Myanmar, but without any border huts. Like-wise Manipur shares 400 km with Myanmar. Through Indo-Myanmar border trade relations between the two neighbours will get re-energized. Through North East Road Sector Development scheme 70 roads and bridges will be constructed,” Muivah said.

Muivah pointed out that illegal trade like smuggling is thriving in the backdrop of less formal trade in the intertiol borders. He said that for taking trade with Myanmar forward the currency at borders can be denomited by Indian currency, by setting up Indian banks in Myanmar and vice versa.

Muivah laid stress on the potential of tourism sector in the Northeast, and said that tourism sector could provide employment. A cultural troupe from the Northeast was send to Nepal. The Northeast Tour Development Council has to be a private driven one instead of public driven to promote regiol tourism packages of the Northeast. The public sector has to first build airports, railways and show the way to the private sector that often shies away from the Northeast because of its geographical isolation,” he said.

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