Northeast will be made investment destination: Aiyar
Wednesday, 19 December 2007, 17:29 IST
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New Delhi: The government's Look East policy has not benefited the people of the Northeast and it has now initiated steps to accelerate the region's economic growth and help make it an "investment destination". Announcing the steps, Minister for Development of the North Eastern Region Mani Shankar Aiyar said Tuesday that the government was coming out with a "roadmap for the development of the northeast" involving the people of the region. He said the "Look East policy (that involved intensifying diplomatic and business contacts with the booming economies of southeast and east Asia) of the government has virtually not paid dividends and has not benefited the people of the eight states." But now steps are being taken to address the concern of the region's people by "accelerating the economic growth" of the states by making them the "investment destination" by involving the local people in decision-making. Speaking after chairing the 55th meeting of the North Eastern Council on Poverty Eradication, the minister said Thailand has shown keen interest about investing in the region. "At least 40 Thai companies have expressed interest about investing in Thailand," he said. He said the Chairman of the Board of Investors of Thailand would be touring Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram on January 9 along with a large contingent of business delegates. Aiyar said, a number of businessmen of northeast origin who are now settled in the US also would also be joining the visit. The minister said they are developing the document "Vision 2020" for the region, which was being prepared involving the people. "To prepare the document, we organised 12 public hearings in the region. We have also suggested to the eight states to work out their own Visions, which will be then incorporated in the final document," he said. "This final document will be a roadmap for the development of the northeast," he said, adding that the 56th meeting will be held in Agartala in May 2008.
Source: IANS
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