ITANAGAR, Oct 28 - Union Minister Kiren Rijiju today called for creating a �conducive� atmosphere in the North East so that investments could flow to the region.
�For investors evincing keen interest in the region, a peaceful atmosphere should be created where they (investors) feel secure,� he said addressing a conclave of Young Leaders Connect (YLC) here.
Asking the people of the region to remain united, Rijiju said nothing could work in isolation. �Natural resources can make a region rich, but mismanagement makes it poor. For proper utilisation of resources, skill development is the need of the hour,� he said, adding Prime Minister Narendra Modi has transformed the �Look East Policy� into �Act East Policy�.
Rijiju said too much negativity prevailed in the NE over the years, which needs to be shed off. �The people of the region feel they are being neglected and are far away from the mainstream. This perspective needs to be changed as there is nothing called �side-stream or mainstream�, in fact every village in the country is mainstream India. We need to have confidence on us as equal citizens of the country,� he said.
The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs said the North East had tremendous potential of having friendly relations with neighbouring countries and all must unite and exist as one.
�We have potentials and problems. If we stay together as one, all our problems will be solved. The NE must integrate and help each other in development,� he said.
Dwelling on skill development, the Minister said the youths of the region do not prefer to be entrepreneurs, but run behind government jobs.
�This is because of the appeasement policy of the government which normally cripples them,� he added. � PTI
