Northeast must 'agitate' with Centre for development: Aiyar

NEW DELHI: Noting that India's 'Look East' policy was yet to reap benefits for the country's northeastern region, Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar has said these states must "agitate" with the Centre to seek development.

Aiyar, the minister for Development of the North Eastern Region (DONER), said efforts were on to make the region a gateway to the prosperous South East Asian nations.

"Now we are focusing on linking the region to South East Asia on the basic assumption that South East Asia begins in North East India," he said.

There is an urgent need to link the markets of the eight northeastern states with the emerging economies of the South East Asian countries, he said.

"That's why I have been urging northeastern states to agitate much more with the Central government to argue their case before us, to factor in the importance of developing NE and determine what our strategy should be for development of the region," Aiyar said.

Contending that the Look East Policy had so far primarily benefited the southern and western India, he said the impact of the policy on Northeast has been negligible.

Aiyar, who took over charge of the ministry in 2006, said the economy of the region may look up as private sector has also evinced interest in investing in the region.

The North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd has received investment proposals amounting to Rs 14,000 crore from the private sector, half of them in the last one year.

The DONER Ministry has organised a North East Business summit on September 15-16 to attract investment from the ASEAN and other neighbouring countries to the North East.

Source : Times Of India