Visits by ministers to NE region is proof of govt's priority: Sitharaman

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said the Narendra Modi government attached priority to the northeastern region and the visit of four union ministers every month bears testimony to this.

The Centre has initiated various steps to provide the region with its legitimate facilities on a par with other parts of the country, she said.

"The NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi mooted the Act East Policy in place of Look East Policy under which activities in ground reality took a long time," the minister said.

"At least four ministers visit northeastern states every month - not for a picnic but to complete all the schemes and projects of the Centre which was not materialised in the last 50 years," Sitharaman said.

While delivering a lecture here, she termed Northeast as the gateway to the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

She also called upon the people of North East never to forget their roots.