DIMAPUR, June 10 - Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang has expressed optimism that the Northeastern region would see a drastic change under Prime Minister Narendra Modi�s leadership.
The people of the North East are already looking up to Prime Minister Modi as the game changer as far as development of the region and emotional integration of the people with the mainland are concerned, Zeliang said while addressing the second anniversary of the NDA Government at Agri Expo Dimapur.
�It is under his (Modi) direction that Central leaders and officials have been regularly visiting Northeastern region during the last two years. We are proud to have a Prime Minister who is convinced that all the States of the Union should be equally developed and we are confident that his vision will materialise sooner than later�, the Chief Minister said.
Even in the area of employment, since the number of unemployed youth in NE region is not that large as compared to the mainland, it would be possible for the NDA Government to tackle the problem effectively even within a time frame of three years or so, he hoped.
�An era appears to be dawning under the NDA Government where the problem of mainstreaming the NE region with the mainland is slowly disappearing and political and sentimental integration appears to be firming up,� he stated.
On the electoral front, Zeliang said BJP and NDA allies in the North East need to work out a strategy of cooperation and adjustments through the newly formed North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) platform to ensure that all the NE States are ruled by allies of the NEDA before the next Lok Sabha election slated for 2019.
The Chief Minister also reminded that the NDA Government had introduced a number of path-breaking reforms and schemes like Make in India, Skill India, Stand Up India, Digital India, Swachh Bharat and Dhan Yojna, during the last two years to revive the country�s stagnant economy, and to take development process on the fast-track.
�All these have dispelled the atmosphere of pessimism that had pervaded the nation during the last 10 years of UPA rule, and replaced them with hope and optimism. I think this positive change in mood and mind-set of the people itself is a big achievement,� he added.
Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot also addressed the programme.
