GUWAHATI: A better commutable and sustainable connectivity is the key to raising the income of the people of the Northeastern States, said the secretary of the Act East Policy Affairs Department and managing director of Assam Industrial Development Corporation Ltd. (AIDC), Manvendra Pratap Singh, in the North East Connectivity Summit organized by the Indian Chamber of Commerce on Friday.
Singh said that historically, North East per capita income was much higher pre-independence because of our connectivity via Dhaka and through other parts of Bangladesh. Now, as the Government of India is giving very high importance to Act East Policy through North East, the state of Assam is in the very epicentre of this initiative. The vision of the government is to have seamless connectivity of the North East with Southeast Asia and the rest of India by opening up new routes.
Earlier, the additional director of the Indian Chamber of Commerce, Ishantor Sobhapandit, made some key remarks about connectivity infrastructure in the Northeast having geographical constraints as it does not have direct access to seaports and the coastal states of India are located far away from the region. Being landlocked has been a major roadblock for the region’s development despite being well-endowed with natural resources. The impact of geographical isolation can be understood from World Bank estimates, which show that compared to West Bengal, the prices of goods in the North East are up to 60% higher in rural areas and 30% in urban locations. This can change, starting with improving transport integration, infrastructure, and connectivity.
Therefore, to harness the full potential of the region, improved connectivity becomes crucial. The chairman of Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Government of India, Rathendra Raman, who was also present in the conference, said that the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways has invested over Rs. 1,000 crore under the Sagarmala programme to develop 20 operational waterways in the region. The key projects include the construction of six ferry terminals at Kurua, Bahari, Dhubri, Guijan, Ghagor, and Matmora in Assam. This will cater to the transportation needs of commuters and alleviate transportation bottlenecks.
The chief administrative officer of NFR, P. K. Kshatriya, said that railways have the potential of playing the role of a catalyst in transforming the region into a commercial and trade hub. This would attract investment into the region. Overall, the introduction of these new rail lines signifies a crucial step towards realising seamless connectivity for North East India, leveraging strategic partnerships and infrastructure investments to overcome long-standing logistical challenges.
The co-chair, ICC National Infrastructure and Construction Committee, Sudip Datta, who was also a speaker in the conference, said that India is one of the few major economies in the world with an increasing GDP and has managed to avoid recessation. The coming years will see a large investment in infrastructure, and connectivity will be a part of it.
The conference also had panel discussions where many other speakers participated with an engaging audience, stated a press release.
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