After a successful meeting with the tourism and culture ministers of Northeastern states in Guwahati, Ministry of Tourism, is now planning a similar conference with the tourism ministers of Southern states, revealed G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of Tourism, Culture and DoNER in his address at the World Tourism Day celebration in New Delhi. The meeting, as per Rupinder Brar, ADG, MOT, will be held in Karnataka, most probably between Bengaluru and Hampi.
Read More »First UDAN flight takes off from Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh to Guwahati, Assam
The first passenger flight has taken off from Tezu, Arunachal Pradesh to Guwahati, Assam under the UDAN initiative to improve the air connectivity in the Northeastern Region, it was revealed in a tweet by the DoNER Ministry. Tezu is believed to be a stunning location to explore and it is believed that the flight service will make a comfortable trip for travellers and pilgrims in North East Region.
Read More »Northeastern cultural and info centre to come up in Delhi
A Northeastern cultural and information centre, showcasing the vibrant culture of the region, will come up in Delhi soon, Union Minister Jitendra Singh has said. Singh disclosed this during a meeting on the ‘Roadmap for Implementation of Cabinet Approval of Schemes for North East Council’ in Delhi. The meeting reviewed the progress of various on-going projects in the Northeast region, an official statement said. Singh, Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), said the central government has been giving priority to the Northeastern region and the cultural and information centre will be a new gift to the people of the region. It is being built on 1.32 acre land in Dwarka and will act as a cultural convention and information hub of the region in Delhi, the minister said. Singh said it will have a library-cum-reading room with material on Northeastern region, an art gallery showcasing the region, an exhibition hall, a research centre, sale outlets as well guest houses. At present, the architecture, design and planning for the project are in process. The project is expected to be completed soon at an estimated cost of Rs 50-55 crore and it will be one of its kind in the country and will be a state-of-the-art project, he said. Source PTI
Read More »DoNER forms North East Tourism Development Council
Ministry of Development of North East Region organised two-day festival, North East Calling, which concluded in Delhi on September 9-10 that depicted the rich culture of North East. Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, inaugurated the festival. Singh also launched ‘North East Venture Fund’, a joint initiative of Ministry of DoNER and North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd, that seeks to promote entrepreneurship and start-ups in the region. The North East Tourism Development Council to promote sustainable tourism in North East India, was also launched. The event included showcase of rich cultural heritage of the North East, including music fest for bands of North East and a cultural night for the dancers as well. There were other contests like Know Your North East quiz contest, In the home chef contest and Beauty of North East photography contest. A B2B conference was also organised at the event to facilitate tourism in the North East region. PK Sinha, Cabinet Secretary, was the chief guest of the closing ceremony and N K Sinha, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Naveen Verma Secretary, Ministry of DoNER, and Rashmi Verma, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, were the other senior officials present. The event saw a huge participation from the public and the DoNER is planning to hold more such events in different parts of the country under the Destination North East Series. These events will promote the culture, art, heritage, tourism, business, cuisine and handicraft from the North East.
Read More »New Sikkim-WB railway line underway
A new 45-km long railway line connecting Pakyong in Sikkim to Sevoke in West Bengal is currently in progress, according to Jitendra Singh, Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER). He said that the funds to the tune of Rs 4,190 crore have been allotted for the railway line, which will also include 14 tunnels and 28 bridges. “This railway line will offer an exclusively picturesque and scenic journey while passing through the foothills of the Kanchenjunga mountain range and the Teesta river valley,” the minister said. Referring to the ongoing Greenfield Airport project at Pakyong, he said that it is expected to be ready by 2017 at a revised cost of Rs 605.59 crore. Singh revealed that 183 projects supported by the Ministry of DoNER have been completed in Sikkim at a cost of Rs 487.91 under the Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR). Furthermore, 41 additional projects worth Rs 721.89 crore are underway.
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