NEW DELHI: Sharing that an investment of Rs 2.5 lakh crore will be coming to the NorthEast, home minister Amit Shah Tuesday said no youth from the region would have to migrate to another part of the country for work in next 10 years as they will find employment there itself.
Recalling the slew of initiatives made in 10 years of Modi govt to restore peace, lay the foundation of development and increase connectivity in the NorthEast, Shah, in his address at NorthEast Students and Youth Parliament organised by Student Experience in Inter-State Living (SEIL), said budget for NorthEast had been raised by 153% in 2024-25 as compared to 2014-15.
Shah elaborated Rs 90,000 crore was spent specifically on roads in the NorthEast, 64 new air routes started and Rs 18,000 crore allocated for railway connectivity in the region. “By 2027, the capitals of all states in the NorthEast will be connected by train, air, and road,” he added.
While praising the NorthEast for having youth with highest IQ in India, along with diversity — 220 tribal groups, 160 tribes and rich culture and traditions — the home minister lamented how the region had fallen behind in development under past govts on account of sustained insurgency, violence and blockades. He said the NorthEast had to face a 40-year delay in development, with terrorism and separatism being the primary obstacles.
Shah credited BJP govt for always prioritising the NorthEast through initiatives like creating a dedicated ministry for the region under Vajpayee govt, talking and working with insurgent groups to bring them into mainstream and end conflict, and pushing development initiatives in the region. Shah said violent incidents in the NorthEast had declined by 70% between 2014 and 2024 and civilian deaths by 89%. As many as 10,500 insurgents had surrendered with their weapons in the past decade, he added.
