Amit Shah announces Rs 2.5 lakh cr investment for employment growth in northeast India

NEW DELHI: Sharing that an investment of Rs 2.5 lakh crore will be coming to the northeastern states, home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said no youths from the region would have to migrate to another part of the country for work in the next 10 years as they will find employment in the northeast itself.
Recalling the slew of initiatives made in the 10 years of Narendra Modi government to restore peace, lay the foundation of development and increase connectivity in the northeast, Shah, in his address at the Northeast Students’ and Youth Parliament organised here by the

Student Experience in Inter-State Living

(SEIL), said the budget for the northeast region had been raised by 153 per cent in 2024-25 as compared to 2014-15.
Shah elaborated that Rs 90,000 crore was spent specifically on roads in the northeast, 64 new air routes started and Rs 18,000 crore allocated for railway connectivity in the region. “By 2027, the capitals of all the states in the northeast will be connected by train, air, and road,” he added.
While praising the northeast for having youths with the highest intelligence quotient (IQ) in India, along with diversity, 220 tribal groups, 160 tribes and rich culture and traditions, the home minister lamented how the region had fallen behind in development under past governments on account of sustained insurgency, violence and blockades. He said the northeast had had to face a 40-year delay in development, with terrorism and separatism being the primary obstacles.

Shah credited the BJP govt for always prioritising the northeast through initiatives like creating a dedicated ministry for the region under Vajpayee govt, talking and working with insurgent groups to bring them into mainstream and end conflict, and pushing development initiatives in the region, Shah said violent incidents in the northeast had declined by 70 per cent between 2014 and 2024 and civilian deaths by 89 per cent. As many as 10,500 insurgents had surrendered with their weapons in the past decade, he added. Thanks to around a dozen peace agreements signed with various northeastern insurgent/rebel outfits in the past 10 years, a conducive atmosphere was created to push development and connectivity in the region.
As India targets becoming a fully developed nation by 2047, Shah appealed to the youths of northeast to become a part of this process.
Describing the northeast student Parliament as a “commendable event”, Shah said it will act as a bridge between other organisations and the Vidyarthi Parishad and ensure that all youth organizations contribute to the nation’s strength. He also lauded SEIL for its role in emotionally connecting the northeast with the rest of the country.