Guwahati, March 9: In one of the biggest economic projects for the North East, and ahead of the announcement of General Elections to the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Viksit Bharat Viksit North East Program in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh today where he dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth about Rs 55,600 crores in Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh.
The Prime Minister also dedicated the crucial and strategic Sela Tunnel of Arunachal Pradesh to the nation and launched the UNNATI scheme worth about Rs 10,000 crores.
The development projects launched by the prime minister today encompass sectors like rail, road, health, housing, education, border infrastructure, IT, Power, Oil and Gas, among others.
Meghalaya was also a beneficiary of the mega projects launched by the prime minister today.
The Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 290 crores in Meghalaya.
The important projects whose foundation stone were laid include construction of IT Park at Tura ; and construction of new four-lane road and conversion of existing two-lane into four-lane at New Shillong Township.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated Farmers Hostel-cum-Training Centre at Upper Shillong.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister noted the ongoing national festival of Viksit Bharat from Viksit Rajya and acknowledged the new enthusiasm among the people of the Northeast for Viksit Northeast. He expressed gratitude for the support of Nari Shakti for the initiative.
Reiterating his vision of ‘Ashtalakshmi’ for the development of the Northeast, the Prime Minister called the region a strong link of tourism, business and cultural relations with South and Southeast Asia.
Mentioning about the Rs 55,000 crore rupees projects of today, the Prime Minister said 35,000 thousand families of Arunachal Pradesh have benefitted with pucca houses, piped water connections provided for thousands of families of Arunachal and Tripura and connectivity-related projects for many states of the region.
These education, road, railways, infrastructure, hospitals, and tourism projects have come with a guarantee of a Viksit Northeast, he added. He further said that the allocation of funds in the last 5 years is four-fold more than the earlier times.
The Prime Minister highlighted the Mission Palm Oil, a special campaign carried out by the central government keeping in mind the Northeast and informed that the first oil mill under this mission is being inaugurated today. “Mission Palm Oil will make India aatmanirbhar in the edible oil sector and boost the income of farmers”, the Prime Minister said, expressing gratitude towards the farmers for taking up palm cultivation.
“Entire Northeast can witness the meaning of Modi ki guarantee with the development works being done here”, the Prime Minister emphasized.
He noted laying the foundation stone for Sela Tunnel and Doni Polo Airport in 2019 which have been inaugurated. “Whatever the time, month or year may be, Modi only works for the welfare of the nation and its people”, he said, acknowledging the support of those present on the occasion.
Referring to the recent Cabinet approval for the UNNATI scheme for industrial development of Northeast in a new form and expanded scope, the Prime Minister underlined the working style of the government as the scheme got notified in one day and guidelines were issued.
He pointed out the push for modern infrastructure in the last 10 years, the implementation of about a dozen peace accords and the resolution of border disputes.
The next step, the Prime Minister said, is the expansion of industry in the region. “Rs 10,000 crore UNNATI scheme will bring new possibilities of investment and jobs”, assured Modi, as he spelt out his focus on startups, new technologies, homestays and tourism-related opportunities for the youth of the region.
Throwing light on the government’s priority to making the lives of women in the Northeast easier, the Prime Minister mentioned the Rs 100 reduction in gas cylinder prices on the occasion of International Women’s Day yesterday.
He also congratulated the entire team of the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh for the remarkable work done to make tap water connections available to the citizens.
The Prime Minister expressed delight that Arunachal and Northeast are leading the way in several development parameters and said, “Development works reach Arunachal and the Northeast like the first rays of the sun”.
He noted the inauguration of drinking water supply project for 45,000 households in the state.
He also mentioned multiple sarovars constructed under the Amrit Sarovar campaign, creating Lakhpati Didis in villages with the help of self-help groups. “We aim to create 3 crore Lakhpati Didis in the country and the women from Northeast will also benefit from this”, he added.
The Prime Minister criticized the earlier neglect of the development of the border villages. Referring to the Sela Tunnel, the Prime Minister reiterated his style of working as per the needs of the nation and not for electoral considerations. The Prime Minister promised the defence personnel that he would come to meet them at this engineering marvel in his next term. The tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity and will improve the ease of travel for the people of Tawang. Work on many tunnels is going on in the region, the Prime Minister informed.
He also said that unlike the earlier approach, he has always considered the border villages as the ‘first villages’ and the Vibrant Village Programme is an acknowledgement of this thinking. Today, road projects for about 125 villages commenced and foundation stones were laid for tourism-related projects in 150 villages.
Problems of the most vulnerable and the most backward tribes are being addressed under PM-JANMAN scheme and today foundation stones were laid for Anganwadi centers in Manipur for such tribes, said Modi.
The Prime Minister underlined that development works related to connectivity and electricity make for Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business.
Drawing comparisons between the work done to boost connectivity since independence till 2014 with that post-2014, the Prime Minister informed building 6,000 kms of highways in the last 10 years compared to 10,000 kms in seven decades and laying 2000 kms of rail lines.
In the power sector, the Prime Minister mentioned work commencing in Dibang Multipurpose Hydropower Project in Arunachal Pradesh and Solar Power project in Tripura today. “Dibang dam will be India’s highest dam”, he said, noting the dedication of the highest bridge and the highest dam to Northeast.
The Prime Minister gave insights into his schedule for today including visits to Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. The Prime Minister said that every Indian is his family. The Prime Minister assured the citizens that he would not rest until basic necessities like pucca house, free raton, clean drinking water, electricity, toilets, gas connection, free treatment and internet connection among others are met.
Concluding the address, the Prime Minister said, “Your dreams are my resolutions”, and thanked the entire Northeastern region for the development projects of today. Upon the Prime Minister’s request, the crowd turned on the flashlights of their mobile phones to celebrate the festival of development. “This spectacle will give strength to the nation”, he concluded.
Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, (Retd) Lieutenant General Kaiwalya Trivikram Parnaik and Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Shri Pema Khandu were present on the occasion among others.
Background
The Prime Minister’s vision for the progress and development of Northeast was strengthened as the ‘Viksit Bharat Viksit North East’ programme’ in Itanagar witnessed several development initiatives in Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh related to sectors like rail, road, health, housing, education, border infrastructure, IT, Power, Oil and Gas, among others.
During the programme, the Prime Minister launched a new Industrial Development Scheme for North East, UNNATI (Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization Scheme). The scheme will strengthen the industrial ecosystem in the North East, attract new investment, help set up new manufacturing and services units and give a boost to employment in the northeastern States. This scheme, worth Rs. 10,000 crore, is fully funded by the Government of India and covers all 8 North Eastern States. The scheme will provide incentives for capital investment, interest subvention and a manufacturing & services linked incentive to the approved units. A portal is also being started for easy and transparent registration of eligible units. UNNATI will help catalyze industrial development and aid economic growth and development of the North East region.
The Sela Tunnel project, constructed at a cost of about Rs 825 crore is an engineering marvel. It will provide all-weather connectivity to Tawang across Sela Pass on the Balipara – Chariduar – Tawang Road in Arunachal Pradesh. It has been constructed using the new Austrian Tunnelling Method and incorporates safety features of the highest standards. The project will not only provide a faster and more efficient transport route in the region but is of strategic importance to the country. The foundation stone of Sela Tunnel was laid by the Prime Minister in February 2019.
The Prime Minister dedicated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 41,000 crore in Arunachal Pradesh.
The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of Dibang Multipurpose Hydropower Project in Lower Dibang Valley district of Arunachal Pradesh. To be built at a cost of more than Rs 31,875 crore, it will be the highest dam structure in the country. It will generate power, help in flood moderation and lead to employment opportunities and socioeconomic development in the region.
Other important projects whose foundation stones were laid include several road, environment and tourism projects under the ‘Vibrant Village Programme’; upgradation of schools into 50 Golden Jubilee schools wherein holistic education will be provided through state-of-the-art infrastructure facilities; Double lane road to provide connectivity from Donyi-Polo airport to Naharlagun railway station, among others.
The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation various important projects in Arunachal Pradesh including several road projects; about 1100 projects of Jal Jeevan Mission, 170 telecom towers under Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) benefiting more than 300 villages, among others. The Prime Minister also handed over more than 35,000 houses constructed at the cost of Rs 450 crores under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (both Urban and rural) to the beneficiaries.
The Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of several development projects worth more than Rs 3400 crores in Manipur. The important projects whose foundation stones were laid include the construction of Unity Mall at Nilakuthi; Development of infrastructure of the Processing Zone of Manipur IT SEZ at Mantripukhri; Construction of 60-bedded state Hospital in Lampjhelpat to provide specialized psychiatric care; and Development of infrastructure for Manipur Technical University, Imphal West District. The Prime Minister also inaugurated various road projects and several water supply schemes in Manipur, among other projects.
The Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of several development projects worth more than Rs 1700 crores in Nagaland. The important projects whose foundation stones were laid include multiple road projects; construction of Unity Mall in District Chumoukedima; and upgradation of capacity transformation at 132kv sub-station Nagarjan, Dimapur. The Prime Minister also inaugurated the project for the upgradation of road from Chendang Saddle to Noklak (Phase-1) and several other road projects including Kohima-Jessami Road.
The Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 290 crores in Meghalaya. The important projects whose foundation stone will be laid include construction of IT Park at Tura ; and construction of new four-lane road and conversion of existing two-lane into four-lane at New Shillong Township. The Prime Minister also inaugurated Farmers Hostel-cum-Training Centre at Upper Shillong.
The Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 450 crores in Sikkim. The important projects whose foundation stones were laid by the Prime Minister include the re-development of Rangpo Railway Station and several road projects. The Prime Minister also inaugurated the new road connecting Tharpu and Daramdin in Sikkim.
The Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 8,500 crore in Tripura. The important projects whose foundation stones were laid include construction of Agartala Western Bypass and multiple road projects across the state; Indian Oil Corporation’s new Depot at Sekerkote to be constructed; and construction of Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for drug Addicted Persons. The Prime Minister also inaugurated various road projects in the state; project for 1.46 lakh rural functional household tap connections; and Land Port at Sabroom in South Tripura district constructed at a cost of about Rs 230 crore.
The newly developed Sabroom Land Port is located along the international border between India and Bangladesh. The land port will provide facilities like the Passenger Terminal Building, Cargo Administrative Building, Warehouse, fire station building, electrical substation, pump house, etc. It will facilitate the movement of passengers and cargo between Indian and Bangladesh as through the new port one can move directly to Chittagong port of Bangladesh which is 75 Kms away as opposed to moving to Kolkata/Haldia Port in West Bengal which is about 1700 Kms away. The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the Sabroom Land Port in March 2021.
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