Excelsior Correspondent
JAIPUR, Feb 2: Addressing the two-day “All India Conference of Regional Editors” organized here by Press Information Bureau (PIB), 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 said that the Modi Government has brought Northeast into national focus and within one year, the entire region is vibrating with activity.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, there can be no greater evidence of the high priority accorded by PM to the development of peripheral States like Northeast than the fact that within the first six months of his term as Prime Minister, he paid a series of visits to the region and made important announcements including the setting up of Sports University in Manipur and Rail link to Meghalaya. Even today, just after two days, that is, on 5th February, Prime Minister is again visiting Northeast, he added.
The concept of organic farming has suddenly caught the imagination of entire Indian society because of the present Government’s concentration on exploiting huge organic potentials in Northeast, said Dr Jitendra Singh and added that the emergence of Sikkim as “Organic State” has given a further impetus to this initiative and holds a huge potential for new “Startups”.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, he took pride in the “DoNER at Doorstep” initiative introduced by him wherein a Camp Secretariat of DoNER Ministry is set up by rotation every month in each of the eight North Eastern States.
Dwelling on the achievements of the other departments dealt by him namely, the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Dr Jitendra Singh said, under the present Government, DoPT has truly emerged as a nodal agency for bringing about reforms and referred to the abolition of attestation of certificates by gazetted officer which he described as a revolutionary step that no other government in the last 68 years had done. He also referred to the abolition of interviews for selection to non-gazetted posts in Central Government and initiation to introduce one page forms for applications.
In the area of Space technology, Dr Jitendra Singh said, India is now a forefront nation and the images being sent by Mangalyan are now being shared by even the most developed nations. Our launching stations like Sriharikota are now also being used by other nations to send their rockets which is a matter of pride and achievement for all of us, he added.
Similarly, in the Department of Atomic Energy which is also dealt by him, Dr Jitendra Singh said, for the first time, India’s glorious nuclear programme has become visible in the Union Capital with the setting up of “Hall of Nuclear Power” at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Since Department of Atomic Energy has always been headquartered at Mumbai, this permanent nuclear exhibition in the national capital will soon become a destination for curious students, scholars and tourists alike, he said.
During the interaction with media persons which took place, Dr Jitendra Singh responded to a number of queries with candidness and open mind. The programme was conducted by PIB chief Frank Nohrana and his deputy K.S.Dhatwalia.
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