Centre to ensure real integration of northeast: Javadekar

The central government will ensure real integration of the northeast region and engage in constant dialogue with the region, union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said Friday.

"We should have a constant dialogue with northeast region and will ensure real integration of the region. The television, radio connectivity along with physical and digital connectivity in the region needs to be strengthened," Javadekar told media persons here.

He added that the union government has many plans for the northeast region. "We have many plans on the anvil which we will reveal in the budget to come... definitely the northeast people will be happy," Javadekar said.

His comments came in the light of his meeting with the Bezbaruah Committee, which is looking into the concerns of people from the northeastern states living in other parts of the country.

The panel, headed by M.P. Bezbaruah, was set up by the union home ministry after Nido Tania, a 19-year-old student from Arunachal Pradesh, was beaten to death in Delhi.

The panel, which is also meeting other ministries, is scheduled to submit its recommendations to the Centre in July.

"The prime minister has said his primary objective is to increase connectivity with the northeast, and to sensitise people in metros about the rich culture of the northeast, and the difference that northeast people have by way of ethnicity and looks - these should not be allowed to come in the way of integration," Bezbaruah said.

Meanwhile, Information and Broadcasting secretary Bimal Julka said a continuous dialogue was being held with people from the northeast to understand their problems and see how best to overcome them in terms of radio reach and involving locals in television and radio content.

"The government is also taking into consideration measures to see that air waves in border areas do not get swamped by transmissions from across the border," said Julka.