Govt promises help to set up investment ventures in NE

Union minister of state (Independent charge) Jitendra Singh, who is also the in charge of the Ministry of Development of North East Region (DoNER), assured investors, big as well as small, of all possible help to establish their ventures in the region.

Responding to a query from a potential investor who wanted to construct a hospital in the Northeast, Singh said, "The ministry would provide all the logistical and plausible monetary help to whosoever wanted to invest in the region." Singh said that the government had created the first region specific ministry ever and thus was committed to fast-tracking development of the region.

Appreciating the natural resources and the flora and fauna of the region, Singh said that apart from starting many initiatives for the seven sister states, his ministry had ensured that mainstream India reached the Northeast and the reverse was also expected. "The government has ensured that all Union ministers visit the Northeast by rotation. We have started the DoNER at Doorstep programme to popularise policies," he said.

Singh also joked about the name of the ministry. "Most people misunderstand the name of the ministry. People think it's 'Donor' and that we donate money. Once a chief minister asked for money and I had to explain that we were the other DoNER," Singh said. Singh said the ministry had started celebrating Northeastern festivals in Delhi so that people could understand the region. "Bihu was celebrated here in Delhi with a lot of fervour," Singh said.