The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for centring around key areas of Good Governance and Developmental Politics as part of a political strategy to revive, rejuvenate & renew the energy of the Northeast. The senior leader from the Northeast also highlighted how the transformational decade of governance by the Modi Government has sparked a new energy in Northeast India as it aims to power the engine of growth for a country’s quest to become Atmanirbhar.
Addressing a press meeting to highlight the key achievements of the NDA Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal said, “Our beautiful region of the Northeast has been blessed by the Mother Nature but was ignored for far too long by the successive governments at the Centre, until the NDA came to power. Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the region has undergone a major transformation in the last one decade, when compared to decades of inertia by governments stuck in inaction, corruption, & ignorance. This decade of transformation has sparked new energy in the Northeast. The people, confident with pride and possibilities, no longer feel ignored as they are working along with their brethren from other parts of the country in an effort to realise the vision of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi of an Atmanirbhar Bharat. The genius strategy, to rejuvenate the Northeast as the Growth Engine of India, employed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi centres around good governance and developmental politics. These twin approaches with a penchant for success with clear intention and hard work has paid off as people, from the remotest corners of the region, enjoy the delivery of welfare services at their doorstep. This was unthinkable for most people of the Northeast before 2014. Today, we have lived this transformation, this development, this elevation in quality of lives which has empowered us to aspire, seek, and commit for the cause of nation building”, he added.
Highlighting some major developments in the region, the Union Minister said, “The Northeast has remained a priority for the NDA Government led by PM Narendra Modi. Since 2014, the region has received an increase of more than 300 per cent in the budget outlay. From Rs 36,108 crore in 2014, the budget outlay for the region has reached Rs 94,680 crore in FY 2023-24. In terms of infrastructure, a remarkable 28 per cent increase in expansion of National Highways has been registered. Till 2014, the region had 80 National Highways (NHs) which jumped to 103 NHs by 2023. A whopping 26 times increase in infra development scheme outlays from a meagre Rs 94 crores to Rs 2,491 crores. Railways also expanded within the region, improving communications with more than 193 km of rail lines being commissioned every year. The railway budget for the region has increased by 370 per cent. We have also achieved 100 per cent electrification of broad gauge in the region. In 60 years of governance under the Congress, the region had only 9 operational airports. In less than a decade under PM Narendra Modi, the region now boasts 17 operational airports. As a result, the people from the region have boosted the aviation sector with a 113 per cent increase in flights per week. In terms of delivery of welfare schemes to the people from the remotest corners of the region, more than 7000 villages have access to piped drinking water. In this decade, the region has also witnessed a healthy growth of a 39 per cent increase in the number of universities. With a view to promoting organic farming, more than 1.55 lakh hectares of land are utilised for organic farming. More than 4,016 km of road projects are ongoing, while 4G connectivity has reached almost all parts of the Northeast.
Highlighting the work done on the rejuvenation of the waterways, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always given major importance to revive the inland waterways of the country as a valuable alternative mode of transportation which is economical, ecologically better and efficient. The Northeast, by virtue of its rich network of riverine system, remains a major success story when it comes to inland waterways. The Brahmaputra, designated as the National Waterways 2, has been traditionally used to trade with the world via Bay of Bengal. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we have been able revive this route through Indo Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR) allowing the trade interests of the region, including facilitating trade for neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal, to access the global market. The three pronged approach of the waterways for Northeast is focussed on development of infrastructure, boosting the immense potential of riverine tourism as well as encourage logistics for trade and passengers travel via waterways. The government is working on developing fairway along 891 kms of Brahmaputra with Least Available Depth (LAD) between Bangladesh Border to Neamati at 2.50 meters, Neamati to Dibrugarh at 2.00 meters and Dibrugarh to Sadiya at 1.5 meters. The dredging work is to be done by the Dredging Corporation of India. For infrastructure, the region’s first ship repair facility is being constructed at Pandu Port with an investment of Rs 208 crores while an elevated road is being constructed from Pandu port to NH27 at an investment of Rs 180 crores. Permanent RCC terminals are constructed at Pandu, Dhubri, Bogibeel and Jogighopa while the Multi Modal Jogighopa terminal is almost complete. Floating jetties are being constructed at 11 locations along NW 2. The government is also working on reviving the riverine tourism with the success of Ganga Vilas – the World’s Longest river cruise. The government is constructing tourist jetties at multiple locations along NW 2 like Biswanath, Neamati, Guijan & Silghat will further bolster the prospect of riverine tourism in the region.”
