Concentrate more on development than elections: Ramesh

Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh), Nov 23 (UNI) Hinting that elections in Arunachal is a money game, Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh today asked the state government to invest more on developmental works for the welfare of the people. '' Do politics for development but not for winning elections,'' he said after inaugurating the seventh Buddha Mahotsava which started here this morning.

Terming Arunachal as an ideal tourist destination, the minister stressed the need to develop more tourism infrastructure in the state for attracting more domestic and international tourists.

The Centre has mooted out several plans and policies for tourism development in the North Eastern states and accordingly sanctioned various projects to give a major thrust to the tourism sector of Arunachal Pradesh, he said and added that one airport and three airstrip projects have been sanctioned besides other projects for improvement of road and national highways. The recent meeting of North East chief ministers at the national capital has endorsed several proposals for development of the north east region and the Centre was thinking seriously on relaxation of restricted area permit (RAP) which would facilitate more inflow of tourists to the region, he added.

Informing that he would pursue the central government for establishment of a Central Institute of Himalayan and Cultural Studies at Dahung in West Kameng district, Mr Ramesh said four colleges-- an Arts college, a commerce college, a computer science and an engineering college would be establish at Tawang within the next two years, which he said would cater to the human resources development in the state.

In reply to a request made by Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu for opening of border trade with China, Myanmar and Bhutan, the minister while assuring to initiate the matter in the right perspective informed that his ministry would depute an officer to study the feasibility of border trade with Bhutan and to submit the report so that necessary funding could be provided for infrastructure development at Bletting, Dudunghar and Namtsering along Indo-Bhutan border.

UNI