CM stresses Kaladan project, multimodal connectivity for Northeast

Tripura Chief Minister Prof. Dr Manik Saha on Monday laid emphasis on the implementation of the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project and on strengthening the multimodal corridors connecting the North Eastern region with the rest of India and neighboring countries.

He also stressed developing the region as a gateway to the Bay of Bengal and ASEAN countries through integrated logistics hubs, freight rail, and integrated energy and digital infrastructure.

Dr Saha said this during the third meeting of the High-Level Task Force for Infrastructure and Connectivity Development in the North Eastern States.

Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jyotiraditya Scindia chaired the meeting, which was held virtually.

Apart from the Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), senior officials of the DoNER Ministry and North Eastern States, including Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma, were present at the meeting and participated in the discussions.

Tripura Industries and Commerce Secretary Kiran Gitte, Planning Secretary L. T. Darlong, Industries and Commerce Director Dr Deepak Kumar, and other senior officials were present at the virtual meeting held at the conference hall of the Tripura Institution for Transformation office.

During the meeting, Dr Saha said that the states of the North Eastern region have huge potential for progress and development. In this regard, the North Eastern states will have to work collectively to further develop infrastructure and communication systems.

The Chief Minister expressed the opinion that it is necessary to take coordinated steps by identifying the problems faced by the North Eastern states in the areas of road, rail, air connectivity, waterways, electricity, gas, and digital connectivity.

He also presented a comprehensive outline of the strategy proposed by the Task Force for the development of infrastructure and communication systems in the North Eastern states.

He said that this outline has been prepared by considering the current infrastructure of the region, identifying constraints, and keeping future requirements in mind.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister laid special emphasis on identifying priority areas for the development of the North Eastern states, including regional infrastructure macro-grids, power, oil, natural gas, tourism, border trade space, etc., and presented the proposed outline for the development of these areas through the report.

The Chief Minister expressed hope that with the combined efforts of the North Eastern states and coordination between the Centre and the states, the development and improvement of connectivity in the North Eastern region will make the region a gateway to South East Asia.

In the meeting, Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jyotiraditya Scindia highly appreciated Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha and the state government for the extensive preparation, integrated planning, and foresight reflected in the report presented by the Task Force.