Gangtok, Apr 29:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for multiple development projects worth around Rs 4,000 crore in Sikkim, asserting that the Northeast region is India’s “Ashtalakshmi” and that the Himalayan state is an important part of it.
Addressing a public gathering in the Paljor stadium, the Prime Minister said the Centre has attached special importance to the development of the Northeast over the past several years and has moved beyond the “Act East” policy to an “Act Fast” approach. “For the Northeast, we have not only adopted the Act East policy, but also Act Fast.
Today, projects worth Rs 4,000 crore in healthcare, infrastructure, education and other sectors have been kick-started,” PM Modi said. Highlighting Sikkim’s ecological richness, he said the state is blessed with immense biodiversity and natural beauty. “More than 500 species of birds and around 700 species of butterflies can be found here.