Minister of State for Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), Dr. Jitendra Singh and Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju inaugurated 'Destination North-East-2016' festival here today.
The festival is being organised by the Ministry of DoNER and Ministry of Culture. The festival will showcase the inherent economic, social and cultural strength of the North East Region (NER) at the national level.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Singh said that the North-East will be developed into a key destination for young entrepreneurs and startups. He also said that North East festivals will be organised in Mumbai and Bangalore in the coming months.
Dr. Singh said that direct flight from Delhi to Dimapur is a major step in making North East more accessible. The rest of India needs to be connected with North East in a meaningful way, he added.
He said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking keen interest in the development of North East. He also emphasised on the need to upgrade academic institutions in the North East to provide quality education and develop the human resource.
Rijiju, on the other hand, said that the development has nothing to do with distance and location. The growth engine is built on the aspirations of people, not location.
The Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Dr. Mukul Sangma, said that despite the geographical constraints, there is a growth momentum taking shape in the North-East.
There is a need to tap the unique and exclusive strengths of the North East, he added.
He said that it is time to carry forward the momentum more aggressively.
Emphasising on the role of Bamboo in the growth of the economy of the North East, he said that Bamboo, the wonder grass, can be a real game changer for the North East.
The Secretary at Ministry of Tourism, Vinod Zuthsi said that the Government of India has been giving special focus on North East tourism promotion and facilitation. He said that the North East is an unexplored paradise within Incredible India.
Secretary at Ministry of DoNER, Naveen Verma, said that destination North-east is a collaborative platform made possible by cooperation of various Ministries and State Governments.
The event will showcase a variety of North-East folk music and dance choreography, including Bihu dance featuring the acclaimed Smt. Madhurima, folk medley choreographed by Guru Madhurima Choudhury, popular rock music of North-East - performance by the Reverse Tragedy Band, Folk fusion and crossover music and Fashion Show of NIFT.
