PM says N-E can be growth engine, era of violence over
NEW DELHI: The northeast has the potential to become the country’s growth engine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday, noting that peace is now being established in the region.
He made these remarks at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Manipur Water Supply project via a video link.
While blockades have become a part of history in Manipur, the era of decades of violence has ceased in Assam, the Prime Minister said in his address.
In Tripura and Mizoram too, youngsters have abandoned violence and the Br u-Reang refugees are moving towards a better life, he said.
The PM noted that the government is making constant efforts to improve connectivity in the region, be it highways, laying of rail tracks or upgrading airports.
The foundation stone-laying programme, he said, is an example of the fact that even during the coronavirus disease pandemic, the country has not stopped working. Referring to the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan” (self-reliant India campaign), the Prime Minister said clusters are being developed for value addition and marketing of local products, where all facilities will be given to agricultural startups and other industries.
He said the northeast has the potential to replace the country’s bamboo import with local production.
Many institutes are being set up for health, education, skill development and startups, he added.
With the setting up of a sports university and world-class stadia, Manipur is becoming a major hub for the country’s sports talent, Modi observed.