Agartala, Dec 21, 2024, IANS

Agartala, Dec 21 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that the Union Cabinet recently decided to establish three semiconductor units in the northeast for the development of the semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem which would create 20,000 direct jobs and 60,000 indirect job opportunities. While addressing the 72nd plenary session of the North Eastern Council (NEC), the Home Minister said that one of the three semiconductor units, Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test Private Limited, would be set up in Assam with an investment of approximately Rs 27,000 crore, which would be the largest investment so far. Shah said that keeping this future potential in mind, the Union Ministry of Education is preparing courses in collaboration with universities in the northeast to equip the youth with relevant education and knowledge. He emphasised that this would generate a large number of jobs for the youth in all eight states of the Northeast. The Home Minister said that in the last 10 years, due to the unprecedented development of infrastructure in the northeast, not only has the physical distance been reduced, but Prime Minister Modi has also worked to bridge the distance between the people of this region and Delhi. Shah said that when Prime Minister Modi gave priority to the Northeast himself, it naturally became the priority of the entire central government. Noting that today the northeast region is on the path of development despite much diversity, he said that 10 years ago, more than 200 tribal groups and more than 195 dialects and languages of the region had become our weakness in a way, causing different kinds of conflicts. It is Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has done the work of converting that weakness into strength and power and more than 200 tribal groups, due to their cultural diversity, have become the centre of attraction for the entire world, and over 195 dialects and languages have contributed to making the northeast one of the 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world. The Home Minister said that there are more than 7,500 species of flowers in the northeast alone, along with various types of wildlife and water resources. The Modi government has made significant efforts over the past 10 years to preserve these natural diversities and transform the region into a preferred tourist destination, he added. Shah mentioned that during former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government, the Ministry of DONER (Development of North Eastern Region) was established. Saying that the Modi government has left no stone unturned in preserving the culture of the northeast, he mentioned that it was the Modi government that worked to include most languages from the northeast in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. He noted that now, it is time to give a big push to the country’s efforts to become a 5 trillion dollar economy through the development of the northeast region. Shah mentioned that for this, the ministries of DONER and the North Eastern Council (NEC) are working to implement the mantra of "Act East, Act Fast, and Act First." The Union Home Minister said that over the past 50 years, the NEC has served as an important platform for discussing the aspirations, needs, and potential solutions to challenges, and has worked to become the blueprint for the development of the Northeast. He stated that in the last 10 years, violent incidents in the northeast have reduced by 71 per cent, and civilian deaths have reduced by 86 per cent. He added that nearly 10,574 insurgents have surrendered, and due to several peace agreements, the Central Government has succeeded in establishing peace across the northeast. Shah said that the allocation under the PM-DevINE scheme was approximately Rs 6600 crore, but it would soon be increased to Rs 9,000 crore. He mentioned that for the development of the northeast, more than 111 projects, including roads, power, education, healthcare services, sports infrastructure, and tourism are being implemented. He added that from 2014-15, the budget for the northeast has increased by 153 per cent, and through the Bamboo Mission, the government has set an ambitious goal to make the entire northeast prosperous. Regarding the flood problem in the northeast states, the Home Minister said that by using technology to create pathways in the natural course, the budget for constructing roads could be reduced by at least 30 per cent.