Aizawl: Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jyotiraditya M Scindia on Thursday said that the Northeast must play a crucial role in the dynamics of the country’s growth.
Scindia, who was on a day visit to Mizoram on Thursday, held a meeting with officials to review and look at the prospect of Mizoram’s growth and development.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the Union Minister said that the Northeastern region occupies a very important strategic location as it is the entry point for all SouthEast Asian countries to the Indian subcontinent.
“The Northeast must play a very very important role in the dynamic of India’s growth and with that in mind the region has received a huge impetus on infrastructure and human resources development in the last 10 years of the NDA government,” Scindia said.
He said the region has received about Rs 1,05,000 crore in terms of annual capital expenditure from the Centre in the last 10 years, which means a 4 to 5-fold jump in terms of investment potential.
All areas of infrastructure – roads, airports and highways – have developed and the national highways have grown from 10,000 km to 16,000 km in the northeast during the last 10 years, he said.
The DoNER minister said that the number of airports in the region has risen from 9 to 17 and at least three states have been connected by railways now from one during the same period.
“Close to 19 railway projects are ongoing and all the northeastern states will be connected by railways in the near future,” he said.
As far as Mizoram is concerned, Scindia said that the state received only Rs 4,734 crore for development projects during 2004-2014 and in the last 10 years of Prime Minister Narenda Modi’s government, it got about Rs. 33,178 crore from the Centre.
In terms of grant-in-aid, Mizoram received Rs 41,396 crore in 10 years of NDA government against Rs 21,359 crore during 2004-2014, he said.
Scindia said that Mizoram will also receive over Rs 6,200 crore of tax devolution for the fiscal 2024-2025.
He further said that several major projects, including Tuirial hydro electric project in Kolasib district near Assam border and broad gauge railway line up to Bairabi town on the Mizoram-Assam border, have been completed and commissioned in the last 10 years of Modi government.
He said that the DoNER ministry will work alongside Mizoram to ensure inclusive and sustainable development for the state.
