Dr Jitendra Singh delivers keynote address on ‘Border States and National Security’
New Delhi, December 18 (MExN): DoNER Minister Dr Jitendra Singh today said that the North East has undergone a huge transformation during recent years and various steps have been taken to boost rail, air and road connectivity.
The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Singh stated this while delivering keynote address on ‘Border States and National Security’, at an event organised by the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), on December 18.
According to official release by DoNER Ministry via PIB Delhi, he also cited the starting of train service Itanagar to New Delhi i.e. Arunachal Express and Sikkim Airport as the signs of such transformation.
He added that a train will soon be flagged off to Bangladesh from North East, the release said.
The Minister also said that to boost start-ups in North East, Venture fund has been started by the DoNER Ministry and a citrus fruit park has been set up in Mizoram with Israeli collaboration, it added.
These initiatives, Dr Singh maintained, have been taken by the Government based on the understanding of the issues of bordering areas. He also said that the ‘Look East Policy’ has been changed to ‘Act East Policy’.
Emphasising upon the socio-cultural proximity of NE states with the bordering countries, the Minister said that these areas share common eating habits, common culture and other aspects but at the same time, that does not obliviate the importance of security, the release said.
Accordingly, he said that peace and development are reciprocal in relation.
“If peace is not there, the development cannot happen. Similarly, if development is not there, it gives a breeding ground for unrest.” Meanwhile, Dr Singh also claimed that Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is going to preserve India’s vast resources, both natural and human resources, the release said, without elaborating further.
Speaking about the bordering states, he also informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has placed border areas on high priority and lot of initiatives have been taken for bordering areas and during the last five-six years, there has been an entirely different approach on how to approach the border security, it added. Dr Singh said that the Government has taken cognizance of the difficulties faced by the people living in border areas and spoke about many initiatives taken by the Government for them, such as constructing bunkers, toilets, Seema Bhawans and provision of cattle insurance, among others, the release said.
Dwelling on borders areas in the North East, he said the region has shared huge borders with many countries and called for understanding the people living near the bordering areas and respect their courage, as they are first ones to face the burnt in case of any disturbance.
