Regional connectivity through Act East initiative will enhance integration in North East: Lok Sabha Speaker

Shillong (Meghalaya) [India], July 29 : The North East has the economic potential to come at par with mainland India, and for this, the development of infrastructure is necessary, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla said on Saturday.
Birla inaugurated the 20th Annual Conference of CPA, India Region Zone - III at Shillong, Meghalaya on Saturday.
He said that regional cooperation and connectivity through ‘Act East’ will enhance regional integration at political, economic and social levels.
On this occasion, he referred to several projects like PM Gati Shakti, the expansion of the National Highway in the North East, the increase in the number of operational airports under the UDAN scheme and developments in the telecom sector, inland waterways, forest sanctuaries, industrial parks etc.
Birla said, “The Northeastern region is going through a massive transformation. Apart from the development of infrastructure in this area, efforts are also being made at the level of an international dimension to create a 'focal point' of regional cooperation and connectivity in Asia and India's Act East, which will enhance regional solidarity at the political, economic and social level. The entire North East region is now poised for a transformational change”.
He added that in the process of development, attention has to be paid to not deviating from the path of human values and ethics and it is the collective responsibility of everyone to protect our tradition, heritage, and culture.
At the outset, Birla congratulated the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, India Region Zone III and especially the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly for organising the Conference and for extending warm hospitality to the Delegates.
He thanked the Speaker of the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly and the Chairman of CPA India Region Zone-III, Pasang D Sona, for providing a useful platform to discuss issues related to the North East region. Birla also recalled former Lok Sabha speaker and former Meghalaya Chief Minister, PA Sangma and his contributions to Meghalaya's development and to strengthen India's parliamentary democracy.
Conrad K. Sangma, Chief Minister, Meghalaya, Harivansh, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Thomas A Sangma, Speaker, Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, Pasang D Sona, Speaker, Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly and Chairman, CPA India Region Zone III, Members of Parliament; Members of Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and other dignitaries graced the occasion.
Birla said that Zone-III of the CPA India Region is the most active of all the four zones. The 20 annual conventions held so far reflect its commitment to the values and ideals of parliamentary democracy. Mentioning the uniqueness of the Legislative Assemblies of the North East Region, Birla observed that meaningful and serious discussions take place in the Assemblies of the North East Region without interruptions.
Consequently, a meaningful conclusion emerges from the dialogue which proves beneficial for the region and the country and is an inspiration for other Zones.
Speaking on the subjects selected for the Conference, Birla noted that the selected topics, atural Disasters and strategies for management with special reference to North East Region and Regional connectivity to bring North-East Region at par with mainland India are relevant and contemporary.
“The Northeast is a hotspot of biodiversity, and any ecological disturbance event here can have far-reaching effects on environmental stability across India. Therefore, there is a need for better preparedness for disaster risk reduction and management in such sensitive areas,” he further said.
Speaking about the policy of disaster management, Birla stressed that we need to focus on the Prime Minister's 10-point agenda, which emphasizes the need to build local capacities and initiatives.
“The Indian development model is based on sustainability and over a period of time, with the use of technology and optimum utilization of human resources, we have strengthened disaster preparedness and management,” he said.
Addressing the delegates of the Conference, Meghalaya CM, Conrad K Sangma said, “The CPA has evolved through time and has proved to be an effective forum for bringing together its members with a shared commitment to promoting the rule of law and pursuing the ideals of a Parliamentary democracy”.
Sangma highlighted that calamities such as earthquakes, landslides, floods, cyclones, and droughts, prove to be an impediment to the pace of development which he felt needed to be encountered through an effective response mechanism.
Citing the example of the recent floods in Garo Hills Sangma informed that a timely and coherent approach was taken for mitigating the impact through a holistic approach by government agencies private sector organisations, non-profit organizations, faith-based organisations and volunteers.
“The disastrous impact of the floods was contained to a large extent by the combined efforts of these agencies which resulted in a well-organised mechanism of channelising the available resources to the most affected,” he added.
Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Harivansh applauded the Presiding Officers of the northeastern region for taking the initiative to consistently engage on various subjects of regional importance.
Underlining the improved connectivity, he said, “For hill states, climate change poses an even bigger and immediate concern that requires more emphasis on adaptation and mitigation strategies. Therefore, it is important to note that planning for disaster management is no more an isolated policy but it must feature in the broader plan to tackle climate change in every state”.
He added, “While we have the concept of State Action Plans on Climate Change, these plans need to be regularly revisited to account for the latest scientific evidence. With the increasing frequency of natural disasters, it is imperative to plan the financing of climate action plans as well’.
Delivering the keynote address, the Speaker of Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly and Chairman, CPA India Region Zone III, Pasang D Sona lauded the CPA for providing a forum for legislators and policymakers to discuss and debate issues and policies in a cohesive manner which resulted in keener insights through best practice sharing.
The Conference will conclude on July 30, 2023, with the Valedictory Address of Meghalaya Governor Phagu Chauhan.