Guwahati, July 10: Union Minister for Power and Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal, has congratulated Assam for being the first State to adopt the Model Tenancy Act in the North East region.

The minister was in Guwahati on Tuesday to review ongoing schemes and proposals in the power and urban development sectors with the Government of India for Arunachal Pradesh and for other North Eastern States.

While lauding the efforts of Assam government and being the best-performing state in the region, he also urged all states in the region to adopt the Model Tenancy Act as soon as possible in the interest of their citizens.

He also called for an urgent need for sustainable habitat development in the Northeast in the context of India’s resolve to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and in pursuit of the Prime Minister’s commitment to the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.

The Minister highlighted the geo-strategic importance of the northeastern region as well as the tourism potential. He acknowledged the concerns of increasing demand for supply of adequate land at appropriate locations, housing basic services and infrastructure facilities due to the increasing urbanisation in the region.

During the meeting, the Urban Development Department showcased its achievements and the status of flagship schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). The State Government requested an enhancement of the carpet area for PMAY houses from 30 to 50 square meters and an increase in the Government of India’s contribution to their construction.

Additionally, the State demanded funding from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) for solid waste management in the Itanagar Municipal Corporation and sought the resumption of lump sum funding to North Eastern states.

The Union minister assured that all matters would be considered sympathetically, taking into account the region’s unique climatic conditions and hilly terrain. He appreciated the beauty of Arunachal Pradesh and expressed his desire to visit again.

The Minister stressed the utmost priority attached by the Government towards the growth and development of the entire north-eastern region.

Ministers and secretaries/commissioners of urban development from Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura presented the key challenges and issues in implementing the central schemes and requested the Centre to consider increased financial support to the northeast states, due to the unique geographic and environmental concerns faced by all the states in the region.

The Minister also appreciated the timely completion of projects in the 10 smart cities of the region, under the Smart Cities Mission.

Read: Union Minister Suresh Gopi suggests spiritual and adventure tourism for Tripura

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