Over Rs 5L cr spent in last 9 yrs for NE region: DoNER Minister

New Delhi, Aug 9: Union Minister for Development of North-East Region (DoNER), G. Kishan Reddy, while informing that more than Rs 5 lakh crore has been spent in the last nine years for the northeast region, said on Tuesday that it has accelerated the pace of unprecedented development in the region.

The minister said this at the launch of a special skill development initiative for the northeast by the Ministry of Skill Development.

He also reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s belief that India cannot develop without the development of the NE region.

Stating that path-breaking decisions have been undertaken in connectivity and infrastructure in the region, Reddy said, “Till 2014, there were only nine airports, but today NE has 17 airports, giving a boost to tourism and mobility.”

He also said that work is going on road projects worth over Rs 1.02 lakh crore and around Rs 82,000 crore has already been spent for railway connectivity.

The minster also said that the government is working on the target of full telecom connectivity in the NE region by the end of this year.

Lauding the Skill Ministry for the initiative, he said this will usher in a new dawn in skill development and entrepreneurship ecosystem in the region. He added that the programme will prove to be a game changer for 2.5 lakh youth in the region.