Union Minister of State for DoNER Sukanta Majumdar on Friday underscored the strategic importance of the northeastern region and said that the region is not just a geographically significant part of the country but it is also an epitome of the nation's diversity, culture, and strategic importance.

Addressing the pre-plenary technical session of the North Eastern Council (NEC), the Minister said that the northeastern region’s unique geographical location at the confluence of India, China, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal makes it a critical bridge for regional connectivity, trade, and diplomacy.

He said that DoNER has been at the forefront of driving the vision of balanced, sustainable, and inclusive growth for the region.

The creation of the DoNER Ministry was a landmark moment in the government of India's commitment to the northeastern states as it understood the need for a dedicated approach to addressing the unique challenges of this region, the Minister added.

The pre-plenary technical session of the NEC was held on Friday before the Saturday 72nd Plenary Meeting, which would be chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and DoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Governors, Chief Ministers, Deputy Chief Ministers and senior officials of Ministry, NEC and all eight northeastern states would attend the day-long meeting.

Majumdar said that the northeastern states have witnessed a significant upsurge in focus and investment over the last few years.

The Minister said that during the last decade, emphasis has been laid to develop the airways, railways and waterways in the region.

“The North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme provides 100 per cent central funding to the state governments of the northeastern region for the projects of physical infrastructure relating to water supply, power and connectivity enhancing tourism and social infrastructure.

"The Government of India has taken the specific initiative for improvement of connectivity within the region by programs such as SARDP-NE, Bharatmala-I, etc., and with the rest of India through the East-West Corridor program," he said.

The MoS DoNER said that under the guidance of the Prime Minister, it was planned that each northeastern state would have a visit of a Union Minister every 15 days in order to accelerate the pace of development in the region and to maximise the efficacy of the projects being implemented by the government in the region.

He further emphasised on the commitment of the central government towards the region while he said, “I would like to share that 74 Union Ministers have visited the region for more than 157 times from January, 2023 to March, 2024.

“These visits are helping in mapping the aspirations and sentiments of the local population and effective implementation of the schemes of government in the region.”

Majumdar while acknowledging challenges faced by the region said that there are still some challenges that need to be addressed for the region to realize its full potential such as development of border trade routes, smart cities, and digital infrastructure, promoting agriculture-based industries, improving market access, and implementing sustainable farming practices.

NEC Secretary Angshuman Dey in his address to the meeting said that the DoNER Ministry would organise the North East Investor Summit in Delhi around April next year whereas a bipartite MoU between Ministry of DoNER and Invest India for strengthening Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) in the 8 states of northeast has been signed.

Dey said that the role of the region is pivotal in achieving Atmanirbharta in edible oil, as the scope for Oil Palm production spans across six northeastern states -- Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura, encompassing a vast potential area of 8.4 lakh hectares, which is 38 per cent of the national potential.

As of now, more than 30 nurseries have been established in the region with the capacity of 30 lakh planting material, he added.