Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu advised the North-Eastern Council (NEC) to propel the region on a resurgent phase of accelerated development by quickly resolving issues that have been impeding its progress. The NEC is the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the North-eastern region comprising eight states – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
Addressing a workshop on “Changing Role of North-Eastern Council in the Development of North-Eastern Region” here, the Vice-President said India’s progress cannot be complete if there is uneven progress in various regions.
“If the northeast region progresses, India progresses. If the region lags behind, India lags behind…. India should work as Team India- Centre, states and local bodies working together on developmental issues to find solutions,” Naidu said.
Lauding the NEC for its achievements, he said “We cannot merely rest on our past laurels. We certainly have many miles to go”.
He said this is the right time to revisit the approaches of the NEC as it braces up to meet the challenges of the winds of change that need to be harnessed in the interest of the region and its people.
Stating that the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has embarked on a path of reform in all spheres with a view to improving performance and productivity, Naidu said that ease of doing business and ease of living are key objectives.
“We cannot afford to go slow. We cannot be satisfied with poor quality. We have to constantly strive to be better than the best,” he said.
The Vice-President also stressed the need for ensuring accountability and transparency in every programme.
He said as the country celebrates 75 years of independence and plans for the next 25 years, there is need to eliminate extreme poverty, reduce disparities, narrow rural-urban development gaps, revamp the education system and ramp up public health infrastructure, while building a healthy, educated, skilled and inclusive Atmanirbhar India.
“Ours is an aspirational India. And the vibrant Northeast region, with a population of around 45 million (4.5 crore), has its own dreams to be realized,” Naidu said.
The NEC can be an effective instrument to bring coherence to these dreams, he added.
Of the achievements of the NEC, the Vice-President mentioned the construction of more than 11,000 kilometres of roads, 10,340 kms of power transmission and distribution lines and setting up of iconic institutions.
Expressing happiness over the change in the economy of the region over the past six-seven years, he said the per capita net state domestic product of all the states has grown significantly.
“It is indeed heartening to note that seven of the eight North-Eastern States have better human development indicators than the national average as per the National Human Development Index 2019. Only Assam scoring 0.613 was slightly below the Indian average of 0.645,” Naidu said.
While there has been overall progress in the economic and human development profile, there are a few areas that need further attention, he said adding that the NEC now needs to focus on identified gaps in respect of socio-economic development.
“The North-Eastern Region Social Development Goals Index, 2021-22 released by the Niti Aayog provides clear direction in this regard. 108 districts of region have been ranked on their performance in respect of these goals. This Index is an effective tool for monitoring progress and identifying necessary interventions,” he said.
Due to sustained efforts, the insurgency and the attendant violence that proved to be the bane of the region for a long time is on the decline, Naidu said.
He said peace is absolutely necessary for fast-tracking development of the North-eastern region.
“Dialogue is the only way forward to resolve any problem. We are one country, states should be in constant dialogue to resolve any issues,” he added.
He said the youths of the region, like their counterparts in other parts of the country, are keen to write a new chapter in the history of our country and they have to be given opportunities and encouragements through concrete actions, he said.
Recalling that the 69th Plenary meeting of the NEC held in January had identified two key issues of resolving inter-state border disputes and attracting private investments, the Vice-President said private investment needs to be promoted through encouraging entrepreneurship, venture funds, start-ups and skill development.
Later, the Vice President attended a cultural program at Raj Bhawan, followed by an interaction with achievers in various fields from Meghalaya.
