Kohima: Union Minister for Communications and Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jyotiraditya M. Scindia on Thursday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Act-East, Act-Fast, Act-First” policy has driven significant development across the North-Eastern region.
After landing in Nagaland’s Dimapur airport, highlighting the Centre’s commitment to the development of the Northeastern region, the DoNER Minister reiterated that the Prime Minister’s “Act-East, Act-Fast, Act-First” policy has yielded significant progress in the region comprising eight states.
While talking to the media, he noted that 10 per cent of the gross budgetary support, amounting to more than Rs 1 lakh crore annually, has been dedicated to accelerating development across the eight Northeastern states, which he described as “Ashta Lakshmi.”
Scindia, who is on a three-day official tour of Nagaland, arrived in Dimapur, was asked about the recently deleted video from the DoNER Ministry’s social media handle that was alleged to depict cultural misappropriation related to the GI tag of Naga King Chilli.
Responding to the query, the minister clarified that he was not aware of the incident but stated that if such an error occurred, it would be unfortunate.
He added that the DoNER Ministry has consistently celebrated the culture, identity, and diversity of all communities across the Northeast region, including the 17 tribes of Nagaland, with deep respect.
Scindia’s visit to Nagaland includes a schedule focusing on development initiatives and cultural engagements.
On December 5, he is expected to attend the foundation stone laying ceremony for multiple DoNER-funded projects aimed at boosting connectivity, infrastructure, and livelihood opportunities in the state. Later, he is expected to participate in the traditional stone-pulling ceremony at Touphema village.
In the evening, the Union Minister will grace the Hornbill Festival at Kisama as a special guest, where he is likely to witness cultural performances, traditional displays, and various exhibitions highlighting the heritage of the Naga tribes.
On December 6, Scindia will visit the Heirloom Naga Centre at Sovima, where he will interact with artisans and review initiatives that promote traditional crafts, sustainable village industries, and livelihood programmes led by local communities.
This visit will mark the culmination of his three-day tour. Earlier on Thursday, the Union Minister was received at the Dimapur airport by Jacob Zhimomi, Minister for Public Health Engineering, Nagaland, and Moatoshi Longkumer, MLA and Advisor for Labour & Employment, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, and Excise Department, along with senior government officials and representatives of various departments.
(IANS)
