Red card shown to obstacles came in the way of North East development: PM modi

Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that his government was making an honest effort to eliminate corruption, discrimination, violence and vote bank politics, besides showing the “red card” to many obstacles that had come in the way of development for the entire Northeast in the last eight years.

Addressing a public meeting to commemorate the golden jubilee of the North East Council in Shillong, Mr Modi said: “We are making honest efforts to wipe out corruption, bias, nepotism, violence, the stalling of projects, and vote bank politics. But you know that the roots of these diseases run deep. So, we all have to uproot it together.”

The Prime Minister, knowing that football fever has gripped the border state of Meghalaya where elaborate arrangements have been made to watch the final of the World Cup football on Sunday night, said: “It’s a coincidence that when today there’s a football World Cup final to be held, I am here in Shillong holding a rally in a football field amid football fans. There (in Qatar), a football competition is on and here we are on a development competition.”

He further said: “Today the World Cup is in Qatar, and we are cheering for foreign teams, but let me assure you that the day is not far that we will host such global sporting events and our tricolour will fly high, and we will cheer for our own team.”

The Prime Minister also recalled his visit to Vatican City, saying: “Last year, I went to Vatican City and met the Pope. I invited him to India, and that meeting has had a great impact on me. We discussed how unity of humanity is important for the human race. We are pushing the politics of peace and development, and the tribal community is greatly benefiting from this.”

Her pointed out: “In the last eight years, several outfits have left the path of violence and followed the path of peace. In coordination with the state governments, the situation is continuously improving to see that there is no need for the AFSPA in the Northeast.”

He also attacked his political opponents, saying: “Political parties that had governments for a long time had the mindset of ‘divide’ for N-E. We have come with the mindset of ‘divine’. Be it different communities (or) regions… we are removing all divisions. Not borders of disputes, we are building corridors of development in the Northeast.”

The PM also elaborated on how his government had increased the air connectivity in the region. “Before 2014, only 900 flights a week were available in the Northeast, and now it’s up to 1,900 flights,” he said, adding that better air connectivity was helping the Northeast’s farmers through the Krishi Udan Yojana.

Launched in August 2020, the Krishi Udan Yojana scheme aims to assist farmers in transporting agricultural products, on both national and international routes, so that it improves their value realisation.

The PM, during his visit Sunday to poll-bound Meghalaya and Tripura, inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of projects worth Rs 6,800 crores. The projects encompass a wide array of sectors, including housing, road, agriculture, telecom, IT, tourism and hospitality. In Shillong, the Prime Minister participated in the golden jubilee celebrations of the North Eastern Council. The PM also inaugurated, dedicated and laid the foundation stone of multiple projects worth over Rs 2,450 crores in Meghalaya. He dedicated the 4G mobile towers to the nation, of which more than 320 have been completed and around 890 more are under construction.

Mr Modi also inaugurated new campus of IIM Shillong at Umsawli, Spawn Laboratory at Mushroom Development Centre,  21 Hindi libraries and Shillong-Diengpasoh Road to provide better connectivity to new Shillong satellite township and decongest Shillong. He also inaugurated four other road projects across three states -- Meghalaya, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.

From Shillong, the Prime Minister flew to Agartala where he addressed a public gathering at Swami Vivekananda ground on Sunday and was due to inaugurate some projects and lay the foundation stones for a few other projects worth over Rs 4,350 crores. The PM will also launch the “Grih Pravesh” programme for beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (both urban and rural).