Itanagar, Sep 22 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday termed the northeast the driving force of the nation’s development and said it has been playing a significant role in India’s growth. Addressing a public rally at the Indira Gandhi Park in Itanagar after laying the foundation stones for 13 development projects worth over Rs 5,127 crore in Arunachal Pradesh, PM Modi said the country aims to generate 500 GW of electricity from solar, wind and water resources. "To achieve this energy target, Arunachal Pradesh will contribute significantly as several power plants are now under commissioning in the state," he said.

Emphasising that the northeast is close to his heart, Modi recalled that the region had long lagged in development during the Congress regime. "We never viewed development through the lens of votebank politics. Guided by our ‘Nation First’ motto, we have accelerated growth across the country and in the northeast," he said, adding that his government "is not run by sitting in Delhi alone". The Prime Minister noted that he has visited the Northeast more than 70 times over the past eleven years, while Union ministers have travelled to the region over 800 times.

"The Central ministers did not merely visit state capitals; they went to remote and hilly areas, spent days on the ground to monitor projects and understand people’s needs. During the Congress rule, Central ministers hardly visited the region," he claimed. "Only last week I visited Mizoram, Manipur, and Assam and launched many development projects." Recalling that the sun rises first in Arunachal Pradesh but development initiatives used to reach the state last, the Prime Minister criticised the Congress era for treating the state as politically insignificant because it sends only two MPs to the Lok Sabha.

"Our approach is different. We put development first, irrespective of political gain. We see the Northeast’s eight states as Ashtalakshmi, as the region blessed with immense resources," he said. PM Modi highlighted that all states receive a share of central taxes and that in the past ten years, Arunachal Pradesh has received over Rs 1 lakh crore as its tax share, more than sixteen times the amount allocated during the previous corresponding period. "In addition to tax devolution, thousands of crores have been provided to the state through hundreds of development projects," he said.

The Prime Minister underlined how improved "ease of living", through better healthcare, education and business opportunities, has benefited people across Arunachal Pradesh and the entire Northeast. Referring to the ambitious Sela Tunnel project, he said earlier no one had even dreamt of such vital infrastructure. The Sela Tunnel, inaugurated by PM Modi on March 9, 2024, is the world’s longest bi-lane tunnel at 13,000 feet, comprising two tunnels and a link road to provide all-weather connectivity to the Tawang region.

He pointed out that Arunachal Pradesh has witnessed a transformation in connectivity with new highways, expanded railway lines and improved air links, boosting trade, business and employment opportunities for youth. "Earlier, Congress governments called Arunachal’s border villages the ‘last villages of India’, and development reached them last. Today, we have turned these into the nation’s ‘first villages’," the PM said. He added that formerly backward districts are now being developed as aspirational districts, and over 400 border villages are getting all-weather roads, internet and other facilities. "These developed border villages of Arunachal Pradesh are now emerging as tourism centres," the Prime Minister stated.