NE is one of the most culturally colourful regions: Assam Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi

GUWAHATI: Assam Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi, along with the President of India Ram Nath Kovind and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, attended the valedictory function of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav's North East Festival for the Northeastern States at a function held at the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in the city here on Wednesay.

While speaking on the valedictory function, the Governor said that North-East India depicts the life and aspirations of numerous tribes and ethnic groups. He said that the unique culture and way of living make North-East India one of the most culturally colourful regions of the world.

Highlighting the geographic importance of the region, Mukhi said that geographically the Northeastern States are strategically very important for India as they share more than 5,000 km of international borders with several neighbouring countries. The strategic location of India's North-East region offers ample opportunities for enhancing the country's economic ties. The Northeastern States are economically important primarily because of its strategic location that connects India to the robust Southeast Asian markets.

Mukhi hailed the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has rightly named the North-East as 'Ashta Lakshmi', and said that North-East India is endowed with immense natural beauty, rich bio-diversity, rare wild life and unique cultural heritage for which the North-East remains a focus area for development by the Government of India, with a Ministry especially created to cater to the development needs of the region.

The Governor said that setting up of the North East Council in 1971 has greatly benefited the region and acknowledged the contribution of NEC in the socio-economic infrastructural development of Northeastern States by taking some major schemes in various sectors such as Transport & Communication, Health, Agriculture, Power, Sericulture, Irrigation, Education etc.

The Governor further said that for the overall development of the North-East, especially its industrial growth with clean environment, the Indradhanush Gas Grid project was taken up by NEC covering all eight Northeastern States. For capacity augmentation railway, doubling of railway track was also taken up by NEC. Three road projects in Arunachal Pradesh - Hunli to Anini, Singer River to Sizoh Nallah and Pasighat to Pangin - have developed the tourism sector of the nearby areas. Also, the recent completion of the Bhawanipur NH -31 to Manas National Park via Saudarvutha Ananda Bazar Road will not only provide better and faster connectivity, but also increase tourism which in turn would develop the economy of the area. One tea museum at Dibrugarh and a mini stadium at Bihaguri in Sonitpur have also been constructed by NEC.

The First lady of India Savita Kovind, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of DoNER G Kishan Reddy, Governors and Chief Ministers of other Northeastern States and Union Minister of State in the Ministry of DoNER BL Verma, senior officials of the Central and State Governments along with a host of dignitaries were present at the valedictory function.

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