Indian government announces new tourism body for the North East
Dr Jitendra Singh releasing the 2017 Calendar of the North Eastern Council in New Delhi
Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region announced the formation of the exclusive North-Eastern Tourism Development Council (NETDC) on a public-private partnership (PPP) mode under the auspices of Union Ministry of DoNER.
The setting up of an exclusive North-Eastern Tourism Council is a reflection of the high priority that the government accords to the development of the peripheral states of north-eastern India. Dr Jitendra Singh has informed that this is for the first time that the Government of India has decided to set up a separate tourism development agency devoted to a particular region of the country.
Dr Singh also released the 2017 Calendar of the North Eastern Council which carries the theme of ‘seasonal fruits’ in different times of the year.
“NETDC is yet another addition to several new initiatives undertaken with regard to North East. For instance, setting up of ‘Venture Fund’ as initial capital assistance for any young entrepreneur or start-up who wishes to launch an establishment or venture in the North-Eastern region and setting up of ‘Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Policy Research & Analysis’ at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Shillong,” Dr Singh said.
The minister also stated that the North-East Road Sector Development Scheme (NERSDS) is also a region-based road development programme in India which has proved to be a great blessing for maintenance, construction and upgradation of such roads, which remain neglected either due to low priority or being interconnecting roads between two states as a result of which they remain un-owned and had thus, gained the dubious distinction of being described as ‘orphan roads’.
