NE to witness faster growth rate in 2025: Sarbananda Sonowal
Sonowal said that the government has done a lot for the security of the region.
Due to improved train and air connectivity, the footfall of tourists to Assam is also increasing, says Sonowal.
Source: X
Guwahati, Jan 3: The North East region will witness a faster growth rate in 2025 as it is a priority area for the Central Government, asserts Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal. Meanwhile, on the issue of some Bangladesh leaders' demand for the inclusion of Assam and Tripura in Bangladesh, Sonowal said, "The Northeast is an integral part of India, and no power in the world can separate the region from India."
Talking to The Assam Tribune, the Union Minister said that connectivity is the key to the development of a region. Since assuming office as the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has stressed improving connectivity in the Northeast. He said that rail, airways, roadways, waterways, and even internet connectivity have improved in the region since the NDA Government assumed office.
Sonowal said that the Prime Minister wants the Northeast to become the gateway of India to the Southeast Asian region, and works are in progress in this regard. No one had thought before that all the states, including the hill states of the region, would be connected by railway. It happened because of the interest shown by the prime minister, he added. He also revealed that air connectivity is improving as several airports in the region are upgraded.
The number of flights operating in the region has also increased. The second terminal of the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport is under construction, and the old terminal will be transformed into a cargo terminal for the export of goods.
Due to improved train and air connectivity, the footfall of tourists to Assam is also increasing, which will provide direct and indirect employment to a large number of youths in the region.
Sonowal said that the government has done a lot for the security of the region. The Sela tunnel has come up, and an underwater tunnel is coming up to connect Numaligarh with Gohpur. Such kinds of megaprojects were unthinkable a decade back, he added.
Because of the improved ecosystem, Assam has now become an attractive destination for investors, and despite strained relations between India and Bangladesh in recent times, cargo movement through Bangladesh has not been affected. Despite the disturbance in Myanmar, the Sittwe port in Myanmar is also operating. That is why the investors will not face any difficulty in transporting their goods abroad, Sonowal added.
By-
R Dutta Choudhury