Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that India`s growth engine would be further boosted with the development of Assam and the northeastern region. Addressing a massive public gathering at Silapathar in eastern Assam`s Dhemaji district, the Prime Minister said that the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ vision would be further strengthened with the ‘Aatmanirbhar Assam’ and northeast.
“To achieve the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision continuous endeavours are going on. Whenever I visit Assam, I get the fresh impetus and inspirations to do more for the northeastern region,” Modi said after inaugurating and laying foundation stones of five mega projects worth Rs 3,000 crore in gas, oil and education sectors. “We are correcting the faults of the previous governments. If the policy is accurate, destiny would be perfect. Connectivity, health, education and infrastructure developments were ignored by the previous governments.” The Prime Minister said that the government is trying to give engineering and medical education in local languages so that its benefit could be obtained by the poor students and learners residing in the far-flung areas. Referring to the song of the great singer and composer Bhupen Hazarika and rich Assamese cinema, Modi said that Assam’s all-round development would make the development of India easier.
Referring to the new National Education Policy (NEP), he said its emphasis on teaching in local languages will help children from even poor families become doctors and engineers. Modi said hardly 40 per cent of families in Assam had cooking gas connections till 2014 despite the state being rich in oil and natural gas and refineries. Almost entire population of the state has now been covered under the Ujjwala Yojana and one crore women have benefited, he said.
“The gas pipelines, optical fibre networks and piped water supply initiatives are not mere iron pipes and fibre. These are the new fate lines of India,” he asserted. He said the improvement in energy and infrastructure development will make life easier for the people of Assam and the northeast and create fresh job opportunities for youth. Oil storage capacity has been strengthened for the purpose of refining and meeting emergency situations, he said. “Assam is known the world over for its tea, tourism, handloom and handicraft. The growth of these sectors will generate more employment and strengthen the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ mission,” he said.
