Partition pushed North East India into economic isolation

Guwahati, Jan 29 (UNI) Dr Govinda Rao, member Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, has said partition induced bottleneck in connectivity in North East has emerged as a major hurdle to the economic growth of the region.

His words echoed Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's speech, who also emphasized on greater connectivity for the region for faster growth.

The Centre for Development and Peace Studies, Guwahati, supported by British Deputy High Commission, Kolkata, had organised the two-day workshop on 'Identity and Development: Twin Challenges in India's Northeast', which concluded today.

Dr Rao pointed that the region was in the forefront of development 150 years ago. ''But the partition landlocked the region and took away the natural routes of transportation, a phenomenon that has reversed NE's growth,'' he said.

The region boasted of a higher per capita income at the time of Independence, but now, its per capita income was lower by 38 per cent of the national level. Assam has the lowest per capita income at Rs 7513 currently among the eight NE states, including Sikkim, with Sikkim having highest at Rs 15,924.

To catch up the national GDP or per capita income growth rate, NE's GSDP has to grow at 13 per cent and the per capita GDP at 11.6 per cent. Dr Rao pointed out, adding that total investment required up to 2020 is estimated at Rs 1,156,785 crore at 2006-07 prices for the region to cope up with the national level.

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