Northeast gateway to security, prosperity: Modi

Shillong, Dec 18  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that the Northeast is a gateway to security and prosperity instead of just a border area at the frontier.
Addressing a public gathering at Polo grounds here after inaugurating and laid foundation of several projects in Meghalaya worth over Rs.2,450 crore, the Prime Minister lamented that due to the fear of benefiting the enemy, the border areas did not witness the spread of connectivity.
“Due to this notion of the previous governments, the connectivity in the northeast and other border areas of the country was not developed,” Modi said.
He however said that the BJP-led NDA government had launched Vibrant Village scheme under which border villages are being provided with better facilities.
“It’s an important scheme called the Vibrant Village scheme. Under this scheme villages in the border areas would get better facilities and this would be would benefit the northeast,” the Prime Minister said.
Emphasising the government’s commitment to fearlessly develop the border areas of the northeast, the Prime Minister said, “For the NDA government, the north-eastern region and its border areas are not just the frontiers of the country, but “gateways to development and posterity.”
Modi added that for any nation “trade and commerce” originates in these border areas and so the central government is concentrating hard on developing these areas fast.
Stating that these areas would be developed at the same pace as any other part of the country, the PM said, “Once these areas are developed it would boost tourism and also stop rural migration to the cities.”
Modi further said the country is developing infrastructure in the border areas of the northeast by doing away with a notion that developing these areas would be advantageous for the enemy.
“Now we are fearlessly going ahead and building roads, bridges, tunnels, railway lines, airstrips and whatever is required are being developed swiftly. Desolated border villages are being turned vibrant. The speed needed for our cities is needed for our border too,” Modi said.
Noting that development is not limited to budget, tenders, laying foundation stones and inaugurations, the Prime Minister said, “the transformation that we witness today is a result of the change in our intentions, resolutions, priorities and our work culture. The results can be seen in our processed. Our resolution is to build a developed India with modern infrastructure, modern connectivity and to connect every region and section of India with the objective of rapid development through SabkaPrayas (everyone’s efforts).”
On the inter-state border dispute, he said, efforts are being taken to resolve these issues and do away with all sorts of divisions. “Border issues between states are being resolved…Now in the northeast, we are building corridors of development and not borders of conflicts,” he said.
Further, the Prime Minister informed that the central government is spending Rs 7 lakh crore only on infrastructure this year, while 8 years ago this expenditure was less than Rs 2 lakh crore.
He also pointed out that states are competing within themselves when it comes to boosting infrastructures.
On the law and order situation in the region, the Prime Minister said, many organizations have chosen the path of peace and development by renouncing violence and the government is trying to lift the Armed Force Special Powers Act in consultation with state government in as many parts of the region as possible.