North East will emerge as substantial business hub: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday lauded the government's efforts to develop North East and said that the region will emerge as a substantial business hub.

"People of North-East blessed NEDA. That's why Modi ji says North-East means is the new engine of India's growth. The region can become an engine of India's development story," he said while speaking at the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) meeting here.

"In the next 10 years, we will see that North East will emerge as important the region for trade and development," Shah said.

The Home Minister said that the North Eastern region is going to become a business hub of eastern India. "I can guarantee Delhi boys will come to jobs in Guwahati and Meghalaya. There are endless possibilities in the region," he added.

Shah said that the North East region is significant for the environment and for the national security as well.

"North East is like India's lung because 26 per cent of the country in this region is forest area, which serves to deliver oxygen to the country. The region is significant for the national security since it touches the boundaries of five nations," he said.

The Home Minister said that all northeastern states will have railway and airport connectivity by 2022.

Shah accused Congress of using divide and rule policy in North East and stopping the development of the region.

"The whole region was involved in an internal conflict which was created by Congress. They stopped the development in the region. Nagaland is a part of India and they have right on India. The divide and rule policy of Congress made people of north-east feel alienated from India," he said.