8.12.14

NaMo in the North East

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the government wants to develop the north-eastern region as the gateway to the proposed economic corridor with India's eastern neighbours and Tripura would power that plan as an energy hub. “If 21st century belongs to Asia, then north-east will be the gateway to Asia,“ the PM said after dedicating to the nation the second unit of a Rs.10,000 crore power plant built by ONGC-Tripura Power Company Ltd at Palatana, 65 km from the state capital. Oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who was earlier the BJP point person for the state and coordinated Modi's visit, said at the outset the PM's mantra for governance “clearly says the country cannot grow without development in the north-east“.
Modi drove the point about his government's commitment to the region's development by saying, “I have spent the last three days in the north-east. I wonder when was the last time that the people in the region had the PM's company continuously for three days at a stretch. It is time to act east, rather than look east. “My first engagement had to do with speed (railway line).This is my concluding engagement in the region and has to do with energy (power plant).You not only need speed and energy but direction also for development.“
The PM used the power station as backdrop to draw the contours of his plan for turning Tripura into a hub for promoting regional cooperation for the benefit of a Bangladesh energy delegation under Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury , PM Sheikh Hasina's energy advisor, attending the function. “We are now capable and willing to supply Bangladesh as much power as it wants,“ he said by way of clearing sale of 100 mw sought by Dhaka and thanked the Bangladesh government for allowing movement of heavy equipment for the plant through its ports and roads. In his speech, Chowdhury enumerated Bangladesh government's desire for sourcing fuel and power from India as well as establishing a regional energy network along with Bhutan and Nepal.
In a development package for the Northeast, PM Narendra Modi on Monday promised to provide Rs.28,000 crore for laying new railway lines and announced sanctioning of Rs.5,000 crore for 2G mobile coverage in the region.
On the last day of his hree-day visit to the region, the PM said in Kohima that the Centre has earmarked Rs.53,000 crore in the budget for the development of the Northeast and would focus on developing he “untapped“ tourism potential of the region and laying of new railway lines for he purpose.

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