orhat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during a public meeting, in Jorhat district, Saturday, March 9, 2024.(IANS)
Itanagar, March 9 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, virtually from Itanagar, inaugurated 123 key developmental projects including the ambitious Sela Tunnel project in Arunachal Pradesh.
PM Modi also laid the foundation stone of 95 new projects worth Rs 55,600 crore in six northeastern states -- Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh.
These developmental projects comprise sectors like rail, road, health, housing, education, border infrastructure, IT, Power, Oil and Gas, among others.
He also launched the UNNATI scheme worth about Rs 10,000 crores.
Addressing the “Viksit Bharat, Viksit North East Program” in Itanagar, the Prime Minister reiterated his vision of ‘Ashtalakshmi’ for the development of the northeast.
Noting that the northeastern region has a strong link of tourism, business and cultural relations with South and Southeast Asia, the Prime Minister said that the development of the northeastern region is the top priority of the BJP-led NDA government.
Launching a new Industrial Development Scheme for the northeast, UNNATI (Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization Scheme), the Prime Minister said that the scheme will strengthen the industrial ecosystem in the region to attract new investment, help set up new manufacturing and services units and boost to employment in the northeastern States.
This Rs 10,000 crore scheme is fully funded by the Center and covers all 8 northeastern states.
The UNNATI scheme will provide incentives for capital investment, interest subvention and a manufacturing and services linked incentive to the approved units.
The Prime Minister dedicated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 41,000 crore in Arunachal Pradesh.
He also 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 and 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.
PM Modi also dedicated to the nation various important projects in Arunachal Pradesh including several road projects, about 1100 projects of Jal Jeevan Mission, and 170 telecom towers under the 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.
He inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of several development projects worth more than Rs 1700 crores in Nagaland.
The Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 290 crores in Meghalaya.
He inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 450 crores 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 the construction of Agartala Western Bypass and multiple road projects across the state, the Indian Oil Corporation’s new Depot at Sekerkote to be constructed, and the construction of an Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for drug Addicted Persons.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated a land port at Sabroom along Bangladesh 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 and it will provide facilities like the passenger terminal building, cargo administrative building, warehouse, fire station building, electrical substation, and pump house.
The land port would facilitate the movement of passengers and cargo between India and Bangladesh as through the new port one can move directly to Bangladesh’s Chittagong port, 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.
‘Your dreams are my resolutions’: NE region has strong tourism links with South & Southeast Asia, says PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the Northeastern Region (NE) has a strong links of tourism, business and cultural relations with South and Southeast Asia.
The Prime Minister, virtually from Itanagar, inaugurated 123 key developmental projects including the ambitious Sela Tunnel project in Arunachal Pradesh and laid the foundation stone of 95 new projects worth Rs 55,600 crore in six northeastern states -- Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh.
These developmental projects encompass sectors like rail, road, health, housing, education, border infrastructure, IT, Power, Oil and Gas, among others.
He also launched the UNNATI scheme worth about Rs 10,000 crores.
Addressing the “Viksit Bharat, Viksit North East Program in Itanagar, PM Modi said that developmental works in the region were done four times more in the last five years but during Congress regime, these were not done in 20 years.
“Development of the northeast is the BJP-led government’s primary task. Modi guarantee is accomplished swiftly and these are being executed all the time not during or before the election time,” the Prime Minister told the gathering.
Expressing his confidence that the BJP-led NDA would obtain over 400 seats in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, the Prime Minister said that the ‘Mission Palm Oil’ will make India ‘Aatmanirbhar’ in the edible oil sector and boost the income of farmers.
Expressing his gratitude towards the farmers for taking up palm cultivation, 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 was inaugurated on Saturday.
“INDIA block leaders are attacking me when I am working round the clock for the development of the country. They never thought about the future of Northeast people but Modi was always thinking for the interest of each family of the Northeast.”
“I would not take rest until basic necessities like pucca house, free ration, clean drinking water, electricity, toilets, gas connection, free treatment and internet connection among others are met.”
“When modern technology should be introduced along the border, the then Congress was busy with corruption. The Congress government deprived the border villages but the NDA government undertook the ‘Vibrant Village Programme’ aiming to develop the most backward village situated along the border,” PM Modi said.
He said that the NDA government has completed the works in 10 years which are not done in seven decades and added that the allocation of funds in the last five years is four-fold more than the earlier times.
The Prime Minister said that the entire northeast can witness the meaning of ‘Modi ki guarantee’ with the development works being done here.
Noting the laying of the foundation stone for Sela Tunnel and Doni Polo Airport in 2019, PM Modi said that whatever the time, month or year may be, he only works for the welfare of the nation and its people.
Referring to the recent Cabinet approval for the UNNATI scheme for industrial development of the Northeast in a new form and expanded scope, the Prime Minister underlined the working style of the government as the scheme was 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,” the PM said and spelt out his focus on startups, new technologies, home-stays 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 on Friday.
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 a 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 criticised the earlier neglect of the development of the border villages.
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.
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 the PM-JANMAN scheme.
Prime Minister Modi 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 on Saturday.
“Dibang dam will be India’s highest dam,” he said, noting the dedication of the highest bridge and the highest dam to Northeast.
Saying that every Indian is his family, the Prime Minister said: “Your dreams are my resolutions.”
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 commented.
Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, (Retd) Lieutenant General Kaiwalya Trivikram Parnaik and Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju were present on the occasion among others.
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