India’s Economic Resurgence will not be complete, unless it takes care of the vast unexplored potentialities and resources of the North-Eastern Region in the post-Covid era said union minister Jitendra Singh today.
The minister while addressing a seminar titled “Act East Policy: Enhancing Trade Infrastructure and Connectivity in the North Eastern Region said that as India prepares to celebrate 75th Year of Independence in 2022, North East will become the torch bearer of New India.
“It was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who gave the vision of “Act East”, soon after assuming power in 2014, thus imparting a new push to our approach and focus to our relations with neighbouring countries, which was earlier known as Look East Policy,” said Singh.
He mentioned that developing the region assumes importance because if India has to successfully engage with the countries across the eastern borders, it must have a strong basis in the areas proximal to eastern borders which comprise the North Eastern States.
“Access to the growing ASEAN market is essential for optimum utilisation of trade and business opportunities,” said the minister.
The ‘Act East Policy’ announced in November, 2014 is the upgrade of the “Look East Policy” which was promulgated in 1992. It aims at promoting economic cooperation, cultural ties and develop a strategic relationship with countries in do-pacific region with a proactive and pragmatic approach and thereby improving the economic development of North Eastern Region (NER) which is a gateway to South East Asia Region.
Talking about the issue of connectivity, Dr Singh said it includes both International as well as Internal connectivity with dimensions of Intraregional connectivity and inter-regional connectivity. On international connectivity, he mentioned issues like Agartala-Akhaura Rail Link between India and Bangladesh, Intermodal transport linkages and inland waterways through Bangladesh, Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project and the Trilateral Highway Project connecting the North East with Myanmar and Thailand.