Shillong, Oct 4: Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu, on Monday stated that development of India as a country is incomplete without the development of North East.
The Vice President was speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony for the improvement cum widening to 2-lane with paved shoulder and 4-lane of the 64.21-km stretch of the NH 40 between Shillong and Dawki, including construction of the Dawki bridge, here in Shillong.
The Vice President is on a 3-day tour of the North-East, and arrived in Meghalaya capital Shillong on Monday morning and expected to leave for Guwahati on Tuesday morning.
Addressing the gathering, Naidu called for fast-tracking of all the developmental activities in the North Eastern states, utilizing the funds provided by the Centre for various projects with transparency and accountability. “If we can expedite all projects here- without delay or diversion, North Eastern states have the potential to become the growth engines of the country,” he said.
He stressed that development of the country is incomplete without the development of North East.
To achieve the desired development in the region, he stressed on the importance of better road connectivity which will allow the region to fully tap its tourism potential, ease the transport of goods, improve delivery of services and contribute to the overall development of the region.
He further mentioned that now was the right time to fast track progress of the region as militancy has also waned, which has created a peaceful ecosystem.
Need for innovation for road construction in hilly terrain
Observing that the hilly terrain and the rainy months in the North East often hinder the road construction activities there, the Vice President (VP) called for an innovation in design and construction of roads for a hilly topography.
“Technical institutions around the country must take this as an opportunity and bring out better road designs, while cutting down on the implementation period,” he suggested.
Good roads to boost tourism in StateÂ
Naidu also underlined the significance of the improvement/widening of NH-40 to the tourism industry in the state. Describing Meghalaya as a beautiful state with enormous tourism potential, he called for more concerted efforts from the Central and State governments to promote tourism and improve infrastructure for the tourists.
At the same time, he cautioned that while promoting tourism, care must be taken to ensure that the pristine ecological system is not disturbed in any manner.
Naidu appreciates Meghalaya’s PRIME Hub initiative for agro-entrepreneurship
Referring to the importance of agro-entrepreneurship for states like Meghalaya, the Vice President noted that there was a large area under horticulture in the state and added that that there are immense opportunities for budding entrepreneurs to add value to the supply chain.
In this regard, he appreciated the efforts of the Meghalaya government in starting the PRIME Hub initiative to encourage entrepreneurship among the youth and to equip them with skill-based learning.
Giving the instance of reputed products such as Lakadong turmeric and ginger powder from the state, Naidu emphasized that there is a great opportunity to market and showcase the indigenous horticultural varieties to the world.
He called upon the youth to innovate as agro-entrepreneurs and improve upon productivity, packaging, and handhold small farmers to ensure that their products get the right price in the marketplace.
