NE can become a major economic hub: Zeliang

Addressing the ‘4th Connect North-East Summit’ under the theme “Act East through Nagaland” at the NBCC Convention Centre Friday, Zeliang underscored the need for improved connectivity in the North-East region for further growth in the mostly landlocked area and better people-to-people connect.

“North-East region is landlocked, except Assam, therefore air and road connectivity become the feasible options, and people have been using roads mostly because of the poor air connectivity,” he said.

Informing a host of high profile dignitaries and investors present at the summit, Zeliang said Nagaland shared 215 km of international border and the eight states of the North-East shared over 5,300 km of border with five countries. In this regard, he said it was imperative for the region to be developed in order to be the nerve centre for economic activity. “We can access the markets of South East Asian countries through Myanmar and therefore we need people-to-people contact with Myanmar,” he said.

Apart from trade Zeliang exuded confidence that some mega projects, such as the trans-Eurasian Highway and the Trans Asian Railway, which will pass through North Eastern region, would not only connect the people, but the region to the world.

He went on to stress on the need to enhance road and rail connectivity, between India and South East Asian countries, stating that it would be most practical if it (road and rail connectivity) runs through Nagaland to Moreh border via Imphal, the route for which the battle of Kohima was fought during World War II. He reminded that the decisive and historic Battle of Kohima, fought during the 2nd WW, was for the control of the strategic Moreh-Imphal-Kohima-Dimapur route– the most vital route for the Japanese forces to enter the plains of India.

 Zeliang said in order to achieve these, the role of multilateral agencies was important and in this, extended invitation to Japan and Russia, whose delegates were attending the summit, to support the initiatives for better connectivity and economic resurgence.

Zeliang also acknowledged the proposals of FICCI, who had been advocating for having the “North East ring Road”. He was of the view that such proposal should become a reality so that the road would run parallel to the international borders for about 4000 kms and connect the North Eastern States.

On Japanese International Cooperation Agency funded (JICA) project, Zeliang said the project was implemented through department of Forest Environment and Climate Change, which he said, was one of the largest foreign funded projects in the state. 

The chief minister also welcomed other corporate houses to explore the potential of the region, particularly Nagaland, for investment.

On the occasion, Zeliang released the ‘knowledge paper’ and passed the baton to Arunachal Pradesh, where the next “5th NE Connect Summit” would be held in 2018.

Taking note of the natural calamities in the region, Economic Minister, Embassy of Japan, Kenko Sone said Japan was ready to share its knowledge and expertise in disaster management.

In his special address to the delegates, Sone informed the gathering that Japan had been offering extensive cooperation in the North-East region, ranging from road network connectivity, energy, water supply and sewage, forest resource management, biodiversity, people-to-people exchange, Japanese language education and post-war reconciliation, he said.

Sone said NE region was located at a strategically and economically important juncture between India and South-East Asia as well as within BIMSTEC countries and therefore Japan placed particular importance on cooperation with the North-East region. He also said that the Japanese government, with a view to encouraging cultural cooperation with the North-East, had initiated the “IRIS Programme” and would invite 25 young people from Nagaland and Manipur to Japan in October.

Sone assured that the Japanese government would be committed to in developing the region.  On behalf of Arunachal Pradesh chief minister, parliamentary secretary for Civil Aviation and Tourism, P.D Sona also invited the guest present to the ‘5th NE summit’ to be held at Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh in 2018. While highlighting the huge investment potential in the North Eastern Region (NER), Sona however said the foremost was to improve connectivity in order to attract investors. 

Sona cautioned that the dream of ‘Act East policy’ would remain unfulfilled unless NER has improved road and air connectivity.

CEO of AirAsia, Amar Arbol in his special remark highlighted the activity of AirAsia in the region.  Arbol said AirAsia aimed to bring more people from the region to the main stream and connect NE on three basis: to generate employment, to connect North East and bring more tourists and third to extend cargo business with North East to ensure smooth flow of export goods from the region to South East Asia and rest of the country.

Nagaland chief secretary, Pankaj Kumar, in his opening remark apologized for the poor road condition in the state. He informed that repair and other works for four major roads would be restarted with an investment of Rs.3000 crore over the next three years, as announced on September 21 by the chief minister.

Kumar said improvement in connectivity with Myanmar and beyond would unlock the potential of trade and commerce which would require strengthening of infrastructure and manpower at the trade point.

Moreover, he said that people-to-people connectivity was significant not only from the perspective of the traditional affinity of the communities on both sides of the international border with Myanmar but also for tourism.

He laid emphasis on developing trade points like Longwa, Pangsha, Mimi and Avangkhu in Nagaland bordering Myanmar.

Kumar was optimistic that socio-economic development and improvement of connectivity would usher in a more positive and peaceful environment. 

North Eastern Council secretary, Ram Muivah, in his address said the next revolution in India would be infrastructure revolution, for which the North Eastern Region should not miss the opportunity just as NE missed green revolution and IT revolution.

He said only three out of the eight capitals in the North-East states– Agartala, Guwahati and Itanagar — were connected by broad gauge rail link. He voiced the hope that Imphal would also be connected by 2018 and Aizawl and Kohima by 2019.

Muivah expressed happiness to see the ongoing four-lane project between Kohima and Dimapur, saying this would transform Kohima and Dimapur. He also stressed that Avangkhu and Longwa road must be declared as National Highway.

Muivah said the proposed Greenfield Airports at Razhaphema and Itanagar needed to be taken up expeditiously while completion of the Pakyong Airport should be expedited.

In his concluding remarks, chairman FICCI-NEAC, Ranjit Barthakur said he was looking forward to have recommendations on various policies as “Nagaland Declaration” and also opined to have “North East Implementation Centre” to monitor certain activities of NE states.

The programme was chaired by deputy secretary general FICCI, Arun Chawla.