Northeast of 2017 is much different: Arunachal CM

Imphal/Itanagar, Nov 21 : Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday said that northeast region in 2017 is much different from what was said and written about it 2-3 decades ago.

"For those in the rest of India, the north-east is associated with ethnic conflict and insurgency. However, in the last one decade, much has changed in this region. An atmosphere of peace and tranquility has laid conducive conditions for economic development," he said.

Khandu was speaking at the North East Development Summit at the City Convention Centre in Imphal. President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the summit.

With enhanced access to modern education and decent healthcare facilities, Khandu said the region's youths are globally connected through technology and extremely conscious of the changes across the world.

He claimed that the Nehruvian policy of 'Panchsheel' had became a barrier for economic development," the Chief Minister said: "The decades of 80s and the 90s saw tremendous development in the rest of the country. But sadly, for the northeast people, these were decades of opportunity lost."

The Chief Minister welcomed investors in the region, particularly in Arunachal Pradesh, in hydroelectricity, social infrastructure, agro-processing, farming, and research and development, pharmaceutical and information technology.

Stating that the region is the pivot of the central government's 'Act East Policy', he said he was all for an institutional structure comprising all Chief Ministers of the region along with External Affairs Minister, Defence Minister, Commerce Minister, and Home Minister to discuss the policy perspectives.