Govt plans to rope in a celebrity to promote Northeast

The NDA government is planning to rope in a celebrity to be the brand ambassador for the Northeast, on the lines of Amitabh Bachchan promoting Gujarat tourism.
"We have a plan to rope in someone as brand ambassador for the Northeast. The region has lots of potential but there is hardly any promotion. We are thinking of bringing some celebrity, the way Amitabh Bachchan promotes Gujarat," Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh said at a press conference here.
Singh said he would soon hold a meeting with the leading tour promoters to encourage them to bring tourists to the Northeast.

"We also have plans to invite Bollywood filmmakers to shoot their films in the region as there are plenty of beautiful locations which would be ideal for outdoor shooting," he said.
Highlighting the potential of organic farming in the region, the Minister for DoNER said the government has earmarked Rs 100 crore exclusively for organic farming.
Singh said around 40 per cent horticulture produce in the Northeast gets wastaed due to non-availability of proper storage and the DoNER ministry is in touch with some food processing industries to set up their units in the region and avail the benefits of plenty of horticulture products.

The Minister also released a e-book on various initiatives taken by the DoNER for the development of the region in last few months.