Our Correspondent
Kohima | February 12
Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang today said the integration of North East Region needs better connectivity with mainland India. He said connectivity can be of two kinds, firstly, connectivity by railway, roadways and by air and secondly, connectivity in terms of media connectivity through newspaper, TV, internet etc.
Inaugurating two day national conference on ‘Mainstreaming the North East’ at de Oriental Grand here, Zeliang said the main objective of the conference is to identify the constraints to economic development in the north east region.
While pointing out that at present both of the connectivity is in poor shape, Zeliang was optimistic that the new proposed internet broad band highway to the region via Cox Bazaar in Bangladesh would be completed early and substantially improve the internet connectivity in the north east.
He said this will in turn open up new avenues for BPO and other internet enable industries to come up in the NE region and provide employment opportunities for the youths.
Zeliang noted that till now, it is only a one way traffic, whereby students from the region go to mainland India for higher & technical education as well as for employment in the cooperate private sector.
On the area of mainstreaming through physical connectivity, the chief minister said priority should be on the construction of highways and railways within the region and connecting it with mainland India and the neighboring countries, so that the geographical isolation of the region becomes a thing of the past and transform into a place of strategic importance in terms of international trade and development.
Zeliang also stressed on the need to open the land locked areas of Indo- Myanmar, so that the people living in those border areas are also taken along in the process of mainstreaming.
“What we need in those border areas is not barbed wire fencing but construction of road along and across the border to unlock the land locked areas to promote trade and development and to promote trade and development,” he stated.
Zeliang argued that it is the absence of road and communication which makes these areas the perfect hiding ground for insurgents, “and unless we open up those areas through connectivity, the people will not be able to take part in the process of development and mainstreaming.”
The chief minister also expressed optimism that the conference will come up with practical ideas and strategies that can be translated to reality and result in mainstreaming India’s North East.
Professor Manoj Pant, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) said that the main target of the conference is to bring together all the North eastern states to bring out a solution for various problems faced by the people and to explore new ideas, production sector, issue of marketing, infrastructure, trade and industrialization.
The conference is being jointly organized by the Association of Environment & Development Research (AEDR) New Delhi, Punjab & Haryana Chamber of Industries and Commerce, Centre of WTO studies, Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, PHD House, NECTAR and Government of Nagaland. The conference will conclude on February 13.
Food processing industries should be developed: Jyoti
Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Sadhavi Niranjan Jyoti stated that food processing industries should be developed with the support of local technologies so that local people gets employment, business and trade will grow, income of the people will increase.
Joyti, who was to address the national conference on ‘Mainstreaming the North East,’ could not attend due to other engagement. However her message was read out at the conference.
With north east being dependent on agriculture, she said growth can be achieved through agriculture related industries. Joyti also said there is lot of scope in Nagaland for growth of micro and small industries.
“Agriculture related industries can be established with low capital hence the Government of India wants that food processing industries should be developed,” she stated. The union minister of state also reminded that food processing industries is one of the integral parts of ‘Make in India’ campaign.
