Morung Express News
Dimapur | June 9
Nagaland State Chief Minister, TR Zeliang today said the people of the North East are already looking up to Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, as the “game changer” as far as development of the region and emotional integration of the people with the mainland are concerned.
“It is under his (Modi) direction that central leaders and officials have been regularly visiting Northeast region during the last two years. We are proud to have a prime minister who is convinced that all the States of the Union should be equally developed and we are confident that his vision will materialize sooner than later”, the Chief Minister said in his address at the second anniversary of the NDA Government today at Agri Expo Dimapur.
Expressing optimism that the NE would see a drastic change under Modi’s leadership, Zeliang said even in the area of employment, since the number of unemployed youth in NE region is not that large as compared to the mainland, it would be possible for the NDA government to tackle the problem effectively even within a time frame of three years or so.
“An era appears to be dawning under the NDA Government, where the problem of mainstreaming the NE Region with the mainland is slowly disappearing, and political and sentimental intergration appears to be firming up”, he stated.
On the electoral front, Zeliang said BJP and NDA allies in the North East region need to work out a strategy of cooperation and adjustments through the newly formed North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) platform to ensure that all the NE states are ruled by allies of the NEDA before the next Lok Sabha election slated for 2019.
The Chief Minister also reminded that the NDA Government had introduced a number of path-breaking reforms and schemes like Make in India, Skill India, Stand up India, Digital India, Swachh Bharat and Dhan Yojna, during the last two years to revive the country’s stagnant economy, and to take development process on the fast-track.
“All these have dispelled the atmosphere of pessimism that had pervaded the nation during the last 10 years of UPA rule, and replaced them with hope and optimism. I think this positive change in mood and mind-set of the people itself is a big achievement”, he added.
Gehlot assures Nagaland will progress ‘very fast’
Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Thawar Chand Gehlot today said the country under the BJP-led NDA government was emerging as a major economic power. He assured that under the Modi Government, Nagaland state would progress very fast on all fronts.
The Union Minister said under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, India’s GDP registered a positive growth from 4.4% to 7.9% in the last two years.
Addressing the second anniversary of NDA government held at Agri Expo site, jointly organized by the BJP-NPF led DAN alliance, the Union minister said even during the previous NDA rule under then Prime Minsiter, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the NDA Government managed to salvage the tattered economy left behind by the Congress.
Gehlot reminded that when Vajpayee took over the reins at the centre, the financial condition of the country was in bad shape with the GDP below 4%. However, in the next 6 years of NDA Government, the GDP rose raised to 8.4%. But after Vajpayee’s exit and followed by ten years of Congress rule, the country’s GDP again plummeted to 4.4%, he said.
Gehlot lamented that though the then Congress-led UPA government had “three best economists”, the GDP went down drastically due to the party’s inclination for corruption and also alleged that corruption was highest during the UPA-I & UPA-II governments.
Gehlot said it was during Vajpayee’s time that a separate ministry was created for the North East States for development and now Narendra Modi as Prime Minister is continuing the development works in the North East. He claimed that during the two years of NDA government, people have seen how the government has performed and now they have full trust and faith in this government.
The Union Minister pointed to how after achieving majority in the last Lok Sabha polls, the BJP forged alliance with other parties and continued to run the government at the Centre, adding, in Nagaland the BJP-NPF alliance will also go on for development of the state. Claiming that Modi had given a corruption-free government in the last two years, Gehlot said nobody can question the government on corruption.
On the occasion, the Union Minister also highlighted the various achievements of the BJP-led NDA Government and pro-people schemes launched during the last two years.
Earlier, Nagaland Minister for Trasport, Civil Aviation and IT, Paiwang Konyak delivered the welcome address and Minister for PWD (R&B), Vikheho Swu, proposed the vote of thanks. Nagaland State BPJ President, Visasolie Lhoungu, chaired the programme.
