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Laying stress on the need for infrastructure development in the northeast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the region could be the new engine of India’s development and said the country’s growth story depended very much on the region’s overall development. He emphasised the need of bringing the east at par with the west.
“I have always maintained that India’s growth story shall never be complete until the eastern part of our country progresses at par with the western part. The northeast can be the new engine of India’s growth,” Modi was quoted as saying by PTI in Imphal.
The Prime Minister was speaking at a function for the foundation stone laying ceremony and dedication of multiple development projects in Manipur.
Bringing to the fore the pace of development in the region, Modi said that at present, seven out of eight states were connected by the rail network. He highlighted that projects were underway to connect the remaining state capitals, including Imphal, to broad gauge network. He said in 2014, Manipur had 1,200 km of declared length of the national highways. The Prime Minister said in the last four years, another 460 km length of roads were declared as national highways.
“Last year I told you what the Congress government could not do in last 15 years we would do in 15 months. The BJP government has done more work in less than 15 months,” Modi said while lauding the work of the Biren Singh-led government in the state. He said the BJP government was able to solve the law and order problem in the state even though three months were still left for the completion of 15 months.
Claiming that the infrastructure development was going at a great speed in the region, he said there were no corruption charges against the government in the state. “The state government has also undertaken construction of a new hostel for girls in tribal areas. I’m fortunate to inaugurate one such hostel today,” he said, adding the state government was working to reduce the problems faced by girls in hill and tribal areas for their education.
Speaking on the state of employment in the state, he said the Centre had sanctioned 10 India Reserve Battalions for northeastern states, including two battalions for Manipur. They would directly provide job opportunities to about 2,000 youths in the state, he said. He also said 438 people, including 136 women, from the northeastern states had joined the Delhi Police.
The Prime Minister said that teachers, doctors and nurses in the state have faced hardships due to lack of proper accommodations in remote areas and hill districts. Modi laid foundation stones for accommodation for teachers, doctors and nurses at 19 locations in the state. He said the women of the state had always been a source of inspiration for the country.
Besides this, he also inaugurated a thousand anganwadi centres in the state and a park dedicated to Rani Gaidinliu.
