Vision Document set a height that we have to scale

By our Staff Reporter GUWAHATI, June 30: In what has been termed as the ‘departure from the past’, the Vision Document 2020 has been prepared through the three-year-long mind boggling exercises for the north-eastern region. The three volumes of the document are scheduled to be released formally by Prime Minister Manmohon Singh at New Delhi on July 2.“The message in the document is clear-the involvement of the people of this region has given special emphasis to generate a sense of well being among them,” said Falguni Rajkumar, secretary to the North-Eastern Council (NEC), while addressing the press here today. He said, “The vision document is a statement on vision to see ahead to know the height we have to climb and the distance we have to travel to catch up rest of India.”The document has envisaged an average growth rate of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of the north-eastern States at 12.95 per cent per annum. The present average growth rate of the GSDP in this region is around 7.5 per cent, much less than the national average. To achieve the projected target in this regard, the document envisages the required additional investment at the tune of Rs 13,29,891 crore during the period from 11th Plan to first three year of 13th Plan. Rajkumar said, a proposal is all set to place before the Union Cabinet next month to chalk out collective planed programme with the fund amassed by the minimum 10 per cent budget allocation of the 49 ministries for the north-east.Currently the funds, which is expected to be raised to about Rs 30,000 crore per annum, have been spent by the respective ministries for the development of the north-east and non-utilized fund goes to non-lapsable Central pool of resources (NLCPR). Apart from the Government fund, the NEC has decided to stress on the private investment in this region, to cover the required investment volume of about Rs 70,000 crore.However, he said, selection of industry is a major problem for the north-east. Which needs is less capital intensive with huge employment opportunity like tourism sector, he said. The NEC secretary has also stressed on the collaboration between outsider investors and local entrepreneurs to avoid negative view on the investment. Several industrial giants are looking for local partners to invest in the north-east, he said. source: sentinel assam