NEW DELHI, July 16 - With only three Chief Ministers of Northeastern States in attendence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Centre will spend over Rs 90,000 crore for the development of the North East.
The meeting held last evening was joined by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog Arvind Panagariya, Chief Ministers of Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura and Finance Minister of Mizoram.
Modi added that the Centre�s package includes construction of highways and developing rail networks and reiterated the Centre�s committment to rapid and sustainable development of the region.
During the meeting, the Chief Ministers were briefed on infrastructure initiatives taken up by the Union Government in the region through a NITI Aayog presentation. Under Special Accelerated Road Development Programme for the North East, Rs 35,000 crore is proposed to be invested to develop the Trans-Arunachal Highway and for connecting all district headquarters by a two-lane highway which is about 6,400 kms.
New rail network is being created in addition to strengthening the existing network at a cost of Rs 57,000 crore. Similarly, investments are being taken up by Telecom, Power, Civil Aviation and Shipping Ministries in order to improve the air, road and rail connectivity and internet in the region internally as well as externally, under the Act East policy of the Centre.
Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram did not participate in the meeting.
