Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, June 4: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh
has mooted “Make in Northeast” initiative, as an add-on and follow-up to the “Make in India” initiative inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also offered to collaborate with all the stakeholders to give each of the eight States of the region an exclusive identity of its own, based on the unique product identified with each of these States.
As a part of this exercise, the Associated Chambers of Commerce of India (ASSOCHAM) Secretary General, D.S. Rawat today called on Dr Jitendra Singh and offered to contribute by coordinating between the government and the various business houses and trade organizations for the success of this initiative.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, he has always felt that, instead of the various States of the region being casually referred as North Eastern States, each of the eight States, can be developed as an identity on its own, to be known by its own name. For example, he said, Sikkim can be developed as the “Organic State of India”, Mizoram as the “Bamboo State of India”, Manipur as the “Textiles State of India” and so on.
In the last four years, with the personal indulgence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dr Jitendra Singh said, there has been a fast-track progress in providing the connectivity and transport infrastructure in the region. This, he said, has prompted traders and investors from the rest of the country and even abroad to come forward and explore the unexplored entrepreneurship potential in the region. What is now required, he said, is to evolve an institutionalized mechanism to ensure a streamlined approach to achieve this objective optimally.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, the “Make in Northeast” approach will not only generate the revenue and livelihood opportunities in the region, but it would also reinforce the Government of India’s “Act East” policy. For example, he said, only a produce grown in Arunachal Pradesh or Nagaland can find customers and consumers in countries across eastern borders like Myanmar, because of the common lifestyle, common food habits and common culture. He referred to the new “Fruit Court” started in Mizoram from March this year with the Israel collaboration. He said, further scope of “Public-Private Participation” (PPP) ventures will also be worked out by the Ministry of Northeast (DoNER) in a manner that it proves to be mutually beneficial to all.
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