Source: Twitter
Shillong, Dec 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the country is "fearlessly developing" infrastructure in the border areas of the northeast by doing away with a notion that developing these areas would be advantageous for the enemy.
"Now we are fearlessly going ahead and building roads, bridges, tunnels, railway lines, airstrips and whatever is required are being developed swiftly. Border villages which were once isolated are now being made vibrant," Modi said addressing a public rally here in Polo grounds on the occasion of North eastern Council's golden jubilee celebrations.
Modi's statement comes after the recent attempt by Chinese troops to intrude into Indian territory in Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh, but the attempt was foiled due to swift reinforcement by the Indian troops largely due to better connectivity in the border areas now.
Lashing out at the previous government for its notion that "if the border areas are developed and connectivity improved it would be advantageous for the enemies," Modi said, he can't understand the thought-process of the previous governments.
"Due to this notion of the previous governments, the connectivity in the northeast and other border areas of the country was not developed," Modi said while announcing a new scheme for these border areas.
"It's an important scheme called the Vibrant Village scheme. Under this scheme, villages in the border areas would get better facilities and this would benefit the northeast," the PM said.
Stating that for the NDA government, the Northeastern region and its border areas are not the final frontiers of the country, but "gateways to development and posterity," he said the "nation's security begins from the border areas of the region."
Modi added that for any nation "trade and commerce" have its genesis in these border areas and so the central government is concentrating hard to develop these areas fast.
Saying that these areas would be developed at the same pace as any other part of the country, the PM said, "once these areas are developed it would boost tourism and also stop rural migration to the cities."
On the inter-state border dispute, he said, efforts are being taken to resolve these issues and do away with all sorts of divisions. "Border issues between states are being resolved…Now in the northeast we are building corridors of development and not borders of conflicts," he said.
Further on law and order, he said, many organizations have chosen the path of peace and development by renouncing violence and the government is trying to lift the Armed Force Special Powers Act in consultation with the state government in as many parts of the region as possible.
Touching on the developmental front, Modi informed that work on 90 major projects are going on in the region. He highlighted some of the projects during the rally and inaugurated or laid the foundation of several projects in Meghalaya worth over Rs.2450 crore.