Agartala hosts seminar on “Act East through North East”

Agartala (Tripura) [India], Dec.23 : The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) with support from Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited organised a seminar on the "Act East through North East: from land locked to land linked" here recently.

The main agenda of the seminar was the growing proximity between Bangladesh and India in general and Tripura in particular and how improved access through the roads, rails and ports in Bangladesh can resolve connectivity issues of the North East.

Pradeep Bagla, Co-chairman of the North East Core Committee on Infrastructure, highlighted the fact that the northeast region shares 96 percent of India's international borders and can play a crucial role in the nation's Act East Policy.

He also said that the growing connectivity via road, rail and port between India and Bangldesh can help foster development of the region and give a boost to intra and inter regional connectivity.

Bagla revealed that CII North East has formed a core committee on infrastructure and would play a major role in encouraging PPP in infrastructure in states, strengthen the infrastructure regulatory framework, work to bring in reforms through policy advocacy, streamline land acquisition issues, especially for infrastructure projects such as roads construction, airports, bridges, railways etc in the North East.

He informed that there have been a lot of positive steps taken by both the central and state governments to boost connectivity in the region.

Bagla added that the CII shall welcome a consensus from state governments of the North East on infrastructure issues plaguing the state which shall help us in preparing the pre budget memorandum on Infrastructure for the North East.

Other speakers gave a detailed presentation on the road, railways and air connectivity and the scope for expansion to further connect it to the South East Asian countries and Bangladesh opening up the North East from "land locked region to land linked".

Source: ANI