DoNER in Despair

Handique sees little hope of investments from outside the region

DoNER minister BK Handique after his arrival at Imphal airport on Sunday. Imphal, Jan 11 : DoNER minister B.K. Handique today threw up his hands on the possibility of investments from outside in the Northeast given the prevailing turmoil and urged the region to create its own investors. Handique, who chaired the Fifth Northeast Business Summit in Calcutta on January 8 and 9, arrived here this afternoon to attend the convocation of Manipur University tomorrow. “The summit was well-attended and fruitful. But the million dollar question is whether big investors will be coming to the Northeast considering the prevailing law and order situation here,” Handique told reporters after arriving at Tulihal airport. He, however, quickly added that the idea of the business summit was to create a climate conducive for investors from outside the region. “Northeast is the only region in the whole country where there is turbulence and violent incidents. There are many cases of violence here. But as business is part of our life, business can still bloom in the Northeast if we all work towards creating the climate for this,” the minister added. The summit laid stress on building international partnerships, enhancing infrastructure in the Northeast, tourism, agriculture, floriculture and aqua culture, healthcare, IT and skill developing investment hubs. Participants, including businessmen from other parts of the country and abroad, expressed concern about the law and order situation. The minister, hence, put the onus of creating investors on the states themselves. “It is ultimately for you and your government to create your own investors. You can make business alive in the region,” Handique said. The DoNER minister said under a cultural exchange programme, India would soon send cultural troupes to Myanmar. Recently, a 15-member cultural troupe from Myanmar performed in Kohima, Imphal and Guwahati as a part of India’s Look East policy. “It is now our turn to send our troupes. We will be sending troupes from Manipur, Mizoram, Assam and Nagaland to Myanmar very soon. We are also planning to have such cultural exchange programmes with other Southeast Asian countries. After Myanmar, the next destination could be Thailand,” Handique said. Later in the afternoon, DoNER minister inspected National Sports Academy at Khuman Lampak Sports Complex in Imphal city and Shija Hospital at Lamphel of Imphal West.