Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Aug 14: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh has urged upon the Members of Parliament (MPs) from the eight North Eastern States to play a proactive role in the various initiatives and development projects launched by the Narendra Modi Government during the last 14 months.
Dr Jitendra Singh was speaking at a luncheon meeting hosted by him in the Parliament House annexe for over 40 MPs, including former Speaker and President of the Northeast MPs Forum, P.A.Sangma. He said, soon after taking over the charge of the DoNER Ministry, he started the process of regular interaction with the MPs from Northeast in order to keep them on board in every decision-making, because they are important stakeholders for anything that is planned for the region.
Dr Jitendra Singh observed that the various plans under NEC and NLCPR take into cognisance the priorities laid down by the State Government and therefore, in order to avoid any possibility of miscommunication and also to ensure wider involvement, the process of regular and exclusive interaction with the MPs of the region has proved highly fruitful. This becomes all the more imperative considering the fact that across the party lines, the region has a huge number of MPs who, regardless of their political affiliations, share certain common views which are of great significance for the development of the region.
Referring to some of the innovative programmes in the offing, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the Organic Farming Mission, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is already in the pipeline and after going through the process of inter-ministerial consultation, it will be placed before the cabinet. An amount of Rs.125 crore has been earmarked for this Mission in the current financial year, he informed. This initiative will also reinforce “Act East Policy” initiated by the Prime Minister.
Dr Jitendra Singh informed the MPs that a new initiative called “DoNER at Doorstep”, wherein the officers of the Ministry of DoNER hold Camp Secretariat by rotation every month in each of the eight States has proved highly popular. It has also sent out a positive signal that for redressal of their grievances, people of Northeast need not travel to Delhi but on the other hand, DoNER can also travel to their doorstep. He assured with pride, the information with the MPs that in his “Man-ki-Baat” radio broadcast on Sunday, 26th July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a special mention with appreciation for this initiative.
Dr Jitendra Singh took note of the suggestions given by different MPs and said that he would expect to be in regular touch with them and would also feel obliged to be guided by veterans like P.A.Sangma.
The MPs were highly appreciative of Dr Jitendra Singh’s gesture and said that this was for the first time that a DoNER Minister had tried to reach out exclusively to the MPs and hold one-to-one interaction on a personal basis with them.
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