Northeast states' meet stresses world-class tourism circuits, transport upgrade

New Delhi, Oct 28 (IANS) Union Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jyotiraditya M. Scindia participated in three High‑Level Task Force meetings, pressing for integrated development of the tourism, agriculture and transport sectors across the North Eastern Region, the government informed on Tuesday.

The High‑Level Task Force (HLLTF) meetings were convened on October 27, which saw the presence of chief ministers of respective states, namely Mizoram, Meghalaya and Sikkim, an official statement said.

These task forces are fostering interstate collaboration, enabling policy alignment, and ensuring that development efforts are regionally integrated rather than state-bound, the statement noted.

The HLTF on the North East Economic Corridor, chaired by Mizoram Chief Minister Pu Lalduhoma, reviewed short, medium and long‑term interventions to develop roads, rail, air links, inland waterways, energy, digital connectivity, trade corridors and border trade infrastructure across the North Eastern region.

The inputs from Meghalaya, Assam and Manipur were sought, and Scindia asked the Mizoram government to submit a final report incorporating feedback.

At the HLTF on Tourism, chaired by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, members discussed preliminary recommendations to develop world‑class tourist circuits and adopt a bottom‑up action plan.

The HLTF on Agriculture and Horticulture, chaired by Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, reviewed the progress of ongoing initiatives in the agriculture and horticulture sectors across the Northeastern Region, the statement said.

The Ministry of Development of the North-East Region said that the attendees, including senior state officials, APEDA officials and NABARD office bearers, deliberated on strategies to enhance value addition, processing, and market linkages for key agri-horti products.

The Task Force focussed its discussions on developing integrated cold chain infrastructure, promoting organic farming, cultivating in clusters, and branding region-specific products with a unified 'Organic' label, the government statement noted.

--IANS

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