The Northeast has paid a heavy price for faulty foreign policy and it is time to improve bilateral ties with China, Bangladesh and Myanamar.

Union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar said this here today at a conference on Constraints and Opportunities for Development of the Northeastern Region.

Emphasising a thrust in the region's economy, the minister said a vibrant economy could end a decade-old insurgency in the region.

He rued the lack of political initiative for ushering in development in the northeastern states and called for a better relationship with Bangladesh and Mynamar to facilitate trade.

Stressing the need to improve power infrastructure in the region, Aiyar said: "Darkness descends on the region at 4 pm. There are no streetlights on the stretch from Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport to Hotel (Brahmaputra) Ashok (in Guwahati)."

"Uninterrupted power supply is essential to attract tourists and help build infrastructure for information technology in the region."

"Light up the streets, homes and highways. Then there will be no terrorism," he said.

Aiyar called for promotion of mini hydel projects instead of massive power stations.

"The Centre has provided Rs 50 crore to the Northeast to improve transmission system."

Under the Eleventh Plan, Rs 50,000 crore will be spent for a 30,000-km stretch of road connectivity.

"We have developed 78 jetties along the Brahmaputra and revamped 28 airfields built during World War II."

Aiyar said the law and order situation in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Sikkim were "as normal as those elsewhere in India."

"The Centre is spending 10 per cent of its total funds for Assam's development," he added.

"We have received only 128 expressions of intent for industrial activities in the Northeast, though the Centre has laid emphasis in 16 areas."

He said 428 sites had been identified for mini hydel projects in Arunachal Pradesh.

"But we have 360 of them still without any takers."

Aiyar came down heavily on a section of the bureaucracy for patronising corruption in the administration.

Taking a dig at the administration, cowering under threats from insurgents, he said: "We are looking for investors and contractors from outside to get the projects completed."

Over 50 bureaucrats and defence experts are participating in the two-day conference.

Courtesy: www.telegraphindia.com, June 01, 2007