The NITI Ayog has called for adequate road, rail, air and water connectivity along with internet services to catapult the North East region into a better developed one and to make a hub of trading activity with neighbouring countries. While highlighting the immense potential of the region especially in tourism, hydropower generation, handicrafts and hydrocarbons, the just released NITI Ayog document, “Strategy for New India @75,” has a word of praise for Arunachal Pradesh for increase in per capita income. Since 2015-16, Arunachal’s per capita income increased more than 1.5 times than that of the national average; barring Sikkim whose per capita income is 2.5 times the national average, all other states in the region lags far behind the national average. By 2022-23, the region should also be developed for enhanced trade, particularly for the export of products made in the NER, to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region and other neighbouring countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal), the NITI Ayog document calls for. The document was released by Finance Minister Arun Jaitely in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The region accounts for 3.78 per cent of India’s population and covers 7.98 per cent of its total geographical area. Its contribution to national GDP is 2.5 per cent. According to the document the  major constraints hampering economic growth of the region are: Inadequate infrastructure in terms of limited air,  rail and road connectivity. Under-utilization of available natural resources, safety and security related issues as well as difficulties in transfer of land on lease to entrepreneurs. The Ayog calls for devising a targeted strategy in consultation with all stakeholders, i.e the eight state governments of the region, disseminate information on the various Central government schemes that are already in place for the development of the North East. It asked all central ministries and departments to share their targets and vision for the region and spell out modalities for spending the stipulated 10 per cent of their budget for the region.

While the document says that the region has potential to produce more than 59, 000 MW of hydropower, of which only 2.1 per cent is now exploited, it did not draw a road map for the exploitation of this important source of clean energy which would have benefitted Arunachal Pradesh greatly.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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