For NE region, govt not only committed to 'Act East' policy, but will also 'Act Fast': PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said his government was not only committed to its 'Act East' policy but was resolved to 'Act Fast' for the eight Northeastern states. Addressing an event to mark the conclusion of the year-long celebrations of the golden jubilee of Sikkim's statehood, Modi said organic foods are being given priority now, and the states of the region have become ''big centres of this futuristic growth''. The Prime Minister launched 30 development projects valued at Rs 4,018 crore in Sikkim, which span a wide range of sectors such as infrastructure, connectivity, healthcare, education, power, urban development, environment, tourism and agriculture. ''The government is committed to augmenting Sikkim's infrastructure, including building an expressway from West Bengal's Bagdogra, and a ring road in Gangtok to increase tourist inflow,'' Modi said. He also said that ropeway and skyways projects are on the anvil for the state, while an expressway would be built in Nathula, bordering China, to ensure more tourist inflow. Modi, who was on a two-day visit to Sikkim since Monday, also referred to the eight NE states as 'Ashta Lakshmi', the eight forms of the goddess of wealth. ''For us, Sikkim, the North East, is not only an important part of the country, but it is India's Ashta Lakshmi. Therefore, we are working on the policy of Act East; and we have also taken the resolve of 'Act Fast' for the North East,'' he said. Reflecting on the state's biodiversity, Modi said nature and culture become alive in Sikkim. ''The cleanliness of the state's roads and its air purity shows that people here are true brand-ambassadors for the conservation of nature,'' the PM said, describing Sikkim as the heaven of the East and a garden of orchids. About the 30-odd projects he unveiled, Modi said the damage to the state done by flash floods in 2023 which affected tourism was addressed some of the projects. ''Wherever connectivity was affected, focus has been on strengthening it again. I give many congratulations to all the people of Sikkim for these,'' he said. Hailing Sikkim's rich flora and fauna, the PM said the state covers less than one per cent of the country's total area, but more than 25 per cent of the India's floral diversity is found here. ''There are about 500 species of birds, about 700 species of butterflies, beautiful forest cover, the wonderful attraction of Kanchenjunga, so much is here. Therefore, everyone wants to come to Sikkim again and again,'' Modi said. He heaped praise on Sikkim for being an abode of peace, spiritualism and wellness, and urged tourists to visit the Himalayan state. ''Sikkim has immense scope in eco-wellness tourism, which the government is promoting. As many as 1,000 homestays are being built, and adventure tourism is getting an infrastructure boost,'' the PM said. Noting that organic foods are being given priority these days, Modi said North East and Sikkim are ''big centres of this futuristic growth'' and the entire state was declared organic 10 years ago. The PM, who played football with budding talents in the morning, said, ''The government is making attempts to augment sports infrastructure, especially in football and archery.'' He also accused successive Congress governments of keeping Sikkim's development projects on the back burner. ''I will do whatever is possible for the development of Sikkim and other North-Eastern states, which the Congress had ignored,'' Modi said. The current government is committed to augmenting health infrastructure and providing quality and affordable service to people, he claimed. Modi cited the example of delay in the construction of the Sevoke-Rangpo rail project, approved by the UPA government in 2008-09, to connect Sikkim with the rest of the country. Its construction could not begin due to the lackadaisical approach of the then government, which could not acquire land for the project, the PM said. Modi said that the rail project was fast-tracked only after the NDA came to power, and the work is ''progressing at a rapid speed''. Recalling the hustle and bustle of the West Bengal elections for which he actively campaigned, Modi said that he felt a new feeling, a new joy and happiness to arrive in Sikkim. ''The rain at night, then the coolness of the morning, and this bright sunshine - Sikkim's colours are truly unique,'' he said. On his visit to an orchidarium at the Swarna Jayanti Maitri Manjari Park, the Prime Minister said it is a must-visit place for tourists. ''If they have not seen the orchids of Sikkim, they have seen nothing,'' the PM said. He congratulated the people of Sikkim on 50 years of statehood with a greeting, ''Namaste, Tashi Delek! Kham-ri-mo!'' (How are you?) in different local languages. The Prime Minister said he was captivated by the performance of the artists at the Paljor Stadium on the occasion. ''In this small programme, they presented the whole of India before the eyes. And even now, the seating arrangement they have made, I can see from above, it is the whole of India, and people are sitting in the attire of their respective states,'' he said. He said that Sikkim reflects the vision of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat' when ''in the country, for political interests, attempts are made for linguistic divisions, provincialism, discrimination… This is what devotion to India is, this is what patriotism is.'' ''What will we do when Sikkim's journey reaches 100 years? And when the country's independence reaches 100 years, the dream of a developed India in 2047? We should start preparing today and move forward with resolve, Modi said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)