Development of Northeastern States strengthens the ‘Act East’ policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi

New Delhi: – Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that development of infrastructure in the northeastern states would strengthen the Act East policy, with an increase in trade and tourism. Prime Minister Modi attended the foundation laying ceremony of the Manipur water supply project, via videoconference. He underlined the importance of infrastructure development in the northeastern states while speaking on this occasion.

The Prime Minister laid the foundation of the Manipur water supply project, on Thursday. The project, which will be built with an outlay of ₹30 billion, will reduce the drinking water woes of the people in the state. 25 smaller towns and 1,700 villages along with capital Imphal, will benefit from the project. This project has been designed, taking into account the requirements for the next two decades. The Prime Minister said that this will reach drinking water to millions of homes and will generate employment for thousands of people.

Under the ‘Act East’ policy, India is making efforts to increase its cooperation with the south-east Asian countries and the Prime Minister said that the development of infrastructure in the northeastern states, will only help the efforts. Development of infrastructure in the northeastern states will make them an entry point for trade and tourism. Billions of Rupees have been invested in developing infrastructure in the northeastern states. The Prime Minister underlined that along with roads, highways, air routes, waterways and i-ways, modern infrastructure is being developed in this region, including a gas pipeline.

Other than the road and rail connectivity, air connectivity with the northeastern states also is equally important. As of today, there are 13 fully operational airports, in the northeastern states. More than ₹30 billion are being spent on modernisation of all the existing airports, including Imphal. Prime Minister Modi pointed out that work on more than 20 waterways, is underway for connecting to the northeastern states.

The northeastern states represent the cultural diversity of the country. These have an immense potential for the tourism industry, but unfortunately, it has not been exploited so far. Prime Minister also said that the northeastern states should become an engine for the country’s development. The youth and ordinary citizens are giving up violence and choosing the path of development. The problems in Manipur are ending. The citizens from Assam, Tripura and Mizoram also have given up the path of violence. The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over this change.