DoNER's plan to encourage investment in Northeast

Aizawl, Apr 16 (UNI) Ministry of Development of North East Region (DoNER) has initiated a development plan to contain poverty and dispel insurgency in the region.

DoNER officials here today said the project was aimed at tapping the potential of the region to turn it into a prominent hub for international trade and commerce as well as transform it into the gateway to the South-East Asian countries.

The just-concluded Northeast Business Summit has also emphasised on this issue, besides internal security, the officials underlined adding, ''Unfortunately the Northeast figures only in connection with insurgency and it is extremely erroneous to do so. In fact, there are many areas here that are safer to invest than Noida and Delhi.'' They said the Home Ministry had already taken a decision to provide additional forces in the NE states to strengthen internal security to ensure safety to the investors, while the problem areas, including poor infrastructure facilities, power shortages and lack of linkages to market, would also be developed.

The Centre's investment in the Northeast is likely to go up to Rs 1.25 lakh crore during the 11th Plan and the Indian government proposed to have 592 flights to link the region, which will be doubled from that of the current 226 flights, officials said.

UNI