NAMSAI, 4 Jun: Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Sunday said that the border state witnessed massive development in the past nine years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over as the prime minister of the country in 2014.
The Modi government is raising the Northeast region by constructing world-class infrastructure, Mein told reporters here as part of BJP’s month-long ‘Maha Jan Sampark Abhiyan’, which was launched by party president JP Nadda on 31 May.
“Modi conceptualised six development pillars for Northeast, including roadways, waterways, airways, railways, digital connectivity and hydropower development,” he said, adding that the state government is also working based on these pillars.
Highlighting the success story of the nine years of the Modi government at the Centre and seven years of the Pema Khandu government in the state, Mein said that “the prime minister always insisted on the development of the Northeast, without which the country cannot progress.”
He said that, to develop the border areas, “the Centre recently approved a package of Rs 44,000 crore for three mega road projects.”
The projects include the two-lane Frontier Highway (1,465 kms) with an estimated cost of Rs 27,349 crore, two-lane inter-connectivity corridor of 1,048 kms worth Rs 15,720 crore and two-lane Brahmakund (Parshuram Kund) to Chowkham road (61 kms) worth Rs 915 crore. The total road length of these upcoming projects will be 2,574 kms.
“The detailed project reports (DPR) of these projects are under progress,” he said.
The two-lane Frontier Highway, to be built by the ministry of road transport & highways (MoRTH), will pass through the districts of East Kameng, West Kameng, Upper Subansiri, Upper Siang, Dibang Valley, Lohit, Anjaw and Changlang.
Once completed, it would help safeguard the country’s borders with China and Myanmar, and control migration from border areas, besides improving tourism infrastructure.
The MoRTH will also execute the two-laning of inter-connectivity corridors, which will pass through the districts of Pakke-Kessang, East Kameng, Longding, Changlang, Upper Siang, Upper Subansiri, Tawang, East Siang and West Siang, thereby bridging the gaps between NH 52 in Assam, Trans-Arunachal Highway, and the Frontier Highway.
Mein said that the Centre has launched the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) with a financial allocation of Rs 4,800 crore.
The scheme is aimed at comprehensive development of villages in the border areas to improve the quality of life of the people, which would help in encouraging people to stay in their native locations in the border areas and reversing migration.
The VVP will provide funds for development of essential infrastructure and creation of livelihood opportunities in 19 districts and 46 border blocks in four states and one union territory along the border of the country.
“We will also provide top-up funds in the VVP along with executing standalone power projects in border areas of the state,” he added.
MP Tapir Gao, who was also present on the occasion, said that, “in the past nine years, the Modi government served the poor and marginalised, ensured farmers’ benefit, provided new momentum for nari shakti, ease of living for poor, and worked on ‘natoin first’ foreign policy and national security.”
“The contribution of Modi government to the northeastern state is immense and many revolutionary steps taken, including peace agreement with various militant outfits to solve the insurgency problem in the region,” Gao said.
He added that ‘sewa, susashan and garib kalyan’ (service, good governance and development of the poor), have been the main mantras of the Narendra Modi government in the last nine years.
“The main focus of the Modi government is on serving the poor and honouring marginalised, affordable, accessible healthcare for all, new momentum for nari shakti, infrastructure at speed and scale, empowering India’s amrit peedhi, ensuring farmers’ welfare, among others,” he said.
Presenting the report card of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, Gao said that in the last nine years, policymaking in India has transformed from “policy paralysis to decisive policy” and in terms of ranking, India has jumped from the “fragile five to top five.”
Taking a dig at the opposition Congress, Gao said that India has demolished dynasty politics, nepotism and casteism, and replaced it with developmental politics.
“Earlier India’s voice was ignored and today, the whole world listens when India speaks,” he added. (PTI)
