What are the reasons for the tardy progress of North Eastern states ?

Geographical factors

• The hills account for 70 percent area of NER and accommodate about 30 percent of population and the plains constituting the remaining 30 percent of area hold about 70 percent of its population.

• The region's accessibility has always remained weak due to geographical reasons and underdeveloped transport links with the rest of India.

• Also, as the region witnesses floods and landslides in the Brahmaputra and Barak valleys of Assam, considerable strain is exerted on the economy of not only Assam but other NER states too.

 Infrastructural factors

• One of the reasons for the economic backwardness of the North Eastern states is the poor state of basic infrastructural facilities like roadways, waterways, energy and so on as well as social infrastructure like educational institutions, health facilities etc.,.

• The NE region is witnessed with increasingly congested roads, frequent power failures, shortage of drinking water etc

Constraints on Industrial growth

• After independence, due to partition of India the industrial sectors in Assam received a serious setback as its trade routes were cut-off from the rest of India.

• This, in turn, hindered the economic integration with other parts and also reduced the attractiveness of the region for the investment.

• Tea is a major industry in Assam region but this also faces multiplicity of issues like conflict between labourers, health benefits and welfare issues.

 Agriculture

• The pace of agricultural growth in the eastern and North eastern regions has been slower than rest of the country.

•  The Green revolution was largely limited to the parts of North wester parts and has not benefitted the North east region.

• Natural resource Base : In spite of having a reservoir of natural resources - soil, water, vegetation and hydrocarbons, the NER is underdeveloped because the resources are being indiscriminately exploited and mismanaged, thereby leading to depletion of the very assets that are usually highlighted as triggering the greatest potential for  growth and development of NER.

Transport and Communication

• The road development in the NER is very slow due to various geographical and economic reasons.

• As a result of partition, the region suffered not only economically in the form of relatively high prices of consumer goods but also by a sense of isolation from the rest of the country.

Miscellaneous factors

• With India's "Act East policy" which heralded the tectonic shift of India's west oriented stance towards east oriented posture, it is extremely difficult for the NER to successfully compete with the MNCs and foreign entrepreneurs and trade.

• It is generally accepted that more than 30 percent of the youth population are addicted to drugs and it is a major hindrance in the economic development of this region.

What is the way forward ?

•  Empowering people by maximising self governance and participatory development through grass root planning to promote inclusive development

• Creation of development opportunities for the rural areas through enhancing productivity in agriculture and allied activities such as animal husbandry, horticulture, floriculture, fisheries and generation of livelihood options through rural non - farm employment.

• To develop sectors in the region having a comparative advantage such as agro processing, hydro power generation.

•  Enhancing the skills and competencies of the people and building the capacities for institutions within the Government and outside.

• Creating a hospitable investment climate to encourage investment by the private sector particularly for infrastructure.

• Harnessing the resources of the Government and the private sector to realize the objectives of the vision.