Our Correspondent
Kohima | September 21
A two-day long Connect North East: North East Connectivity Summit with special focus on “Act East through Nagaland” will take place from September 22 at NBCC Convention Centre, Kohima. To be held under the aegis of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), this summit is supported by Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of DoNER and Ministry of Road Transport & Highway.
Foreign delegates from Japan, Russia, Myanmar, Bhutan, Laos, Bangladesh and Thailand will also participate at the summit besides corporations and companies like Mitsubishi, Air Asia, Global and Taj Hotels, Jaybee Group, IL & FS, OTPC, Bitchem, Biman Bangladesh Delloite, Druk, Jet Airways, Multilaterals such as JICA, World Bank and UNESCAP and embassies and High Commissioners from Bangladesh, Japan and Laos.
Nagaland’s Chief Minister TR Zeliang will deliver the inaugural address on September 22, starting from 10:00 AM onwards. Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar will give the opening remarks in the inaugural session. Special remarks will also be made by Amar Abrol, chief executive officer, Air Asia, Kenko Sone, minister economic, embassy of Japan, Partha Satpathy, IFS, joint secretary (States) MEA), Ram Muivah, secretary NEC, Chandra Mohan, minister of transports, commerce & industry, skill employment, Assam, PD. Sona, parliamentary secretary for civil aviations and tourism, Arunachal Pradesh.
The inaugural session will be followed by policy forum, international connectivity initiatives and harnessing shared energy resources & biodiversity.
In the concluding session Secretary, NEC & Additional Secretary DoNER, Ram Muivah and MP Gaurav Gogoi will give the remarks while Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar will deliver the valedictory address followed by concluding remarks from Chairman, FICCI-NEAC Ranjit Barthakur.
There will be six roundtable during the 2-day summit where different topics for discussion would be spoken by speakers expert in their own respective fields. (With inputs from DIPR)
‘Act East through Nagaland’
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) NEAC, chairman, Ranjit Barthakur addressing a press conference at the SIRD guest house, Kohima on September 21 said that the whole purpose of the summit is connectivity and the relevant challenges the northeast part of the country faces. He said the main objective of the summit is connectivity of land, air, trade connectivity etc.
He also said the upcoming summit will be the biggest so far as the team has developed an app and web site where all the participants can log in and be connected and be informed about the conference. He said the summit is mainly in all its seriousness wanting to develop Nagaland in a more meaningful way.
Connecting within the state is important he said and the northeast is facing the problem of connectivity and implementation. He further added that the people’s education level has gone up to the extent that awareness of what is required for good governance is more today.
Ranjit called on the younger generation to value nature which he said was the biggest asset in Nagaland.
He also added that now is the right time to create a movement through the conference that our industry is our forest and we need to protect our nature and say no to industry. He also highlighted the importance of cultural connectivity, service industry, digital connectivity and modern handloom connectivity which will be the main focus of the summit.
Ranjit also highlighted the concept of Ru-fu which is connectivity with the rural future. He said Nagaland is unique and connectivity through good infrastructure, electricity, forest, road, air, healthcare etc. is very important.
He said FICCI conference is not an investment summit but the focus is on connectivity and how to link connectivity in the rest of the northeast though the summit.
“If investment in education, agriculture, roads, health care etc. can be can be achieved at the end of the conference then Nagaland will be greatly benefitted and also it will affect the whole of north eastern state,” he stated.
Additional Chief Secretary Temjen Toy said the summit is the 4th edition which he said would be the biggest and most comprehensive in terms of participation not only within the country but also from outside the country.
Government undertakings and Banks such as Central Bank, State Bank of India, Axis Bank and a host of others such as Indian Army, BRO, Vodafone, MEA, Nagaland and Manipur University also participating in this summit.
