New Government. New Agenda. Northeast gets special attention.

1. Logistics North East

2. New government. New agenda. Northeast certainly is gaining much better traction from New
Delhi under the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

3. Reflecting the seriousness of its intent, Retired Chief of Army Staff Gen. V K Singh has been
appointed as Minister of State with independent charge of looking after north eastern states
of India. The ex-army veteran is no stranger to this region. He has served and overseen these
border states – touching Myanmar, China, Tibet and Bhutan.

4. Talking about army
men in the Federal
government,
particularly under
the NDA umbrella,
one cannot forget the
stellar role played by
Maj. Gen. B K
Khanduri who was
the Minister of Road
Transport and
Highways under the
Vajpayee government
(1999-2004) and
rolled out the Golden
Quadrilateral project
with elan.
With Gen. V K Singh
in the saddle to
develop northeast
now, expectations
are high.

5. Wearing the Adi tribe headgear (dumluk) during his electioneering for 2014 Polls in Arunachal
Pradesh to express solidarity with the northeast, Modi did impress the region. Promises were
made on poll eve and now the time has come to translate those promises into action. Prime
Minister Modi has not forgotten, let us hope.

6. In the maiden session of 15th Lok Sabha, participating in the debate on President’s Address
Modi did turn the spotlight on north east.

7. Whole of north-east India should be
developed as an "organic state" to
help the region prosper and capture
the global market for organic
products, he said. Citing the example
of Sikkim, which will soon become an
organic state, Modi said the goal, if
achieved, will transform the lives of
those living in the hill states.
"Sikkim is a small state, sparsely
populated, but is set to become the
country's first wholly organic state,
which is a matter of pride," Modi
told.
"There exists a massive demand for
organic agricultural produce in the
world today. A large section of the
world's population today is interested
in holistic healthcare, and is willing to
pay any amount of money for such
organic products," he said.

8. "If a small state like Sikkim can do it, why can't we dream of developing the whole of north-
east as an organic state? The government of India will help it in capturing the global market."
Acknowledging the "hard work that the farmers of Sikkim have put in", Modi said the project
needed to be expanded. "If this happens, the lives of those living in the hill states will change
for the better," he said.

9. Did not Prime Minister Modi speak about “Organic state”?
Yes… He did.
To be Continued…