PM to visit Assam and Sikkim
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two day visit to Sikkim and Assam from today to participate in various programmes and interact with the people. In Sikkim, he will attend a conference of State Agriculture Ministers in Gangtok, visit an exhibition of organic products and interact with organic farmers. In Assam, he will interact with students of IIT, NIT and Central Universities.
North-East India comprises 8% of India's land area and is home to 45.5 million people (3% of India's population, according to Census 2011). It consists of 7 sister states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura and Mizoram along with Sikkim and Jalpaiguri division of West Bengal. The 21-40 km wide Siliguri corridor(also known as Chicken's neck) joins North-East with rest of India.
Sikkim Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling, undertook a survey in and around Gangtok to oversee the security preparations ahead of the Prime Minister's visit. He directed the police to ensure fool proof security for the high profile visit during the organic festival in the state in January 2016. He also asked the departments organising the organic festival to coordinate effectively to make the event successful.
Sikkim has become the 1st organic state by converting the entire 75,000 hectares of agricultural land into certified organic land. The process to make Sikkim organic was started in 2003 when the Sikkim Legislative council passed a resolution in this regard.
IIT Guwahati is all set to welcome Prime Minister Modi on 19 January 2016. He is expected to address around 6000 students from various higher educational institutions of North East including Cotton College and Gauhati University via a webcast. PM is likely to talk about flagship programmes of the government such as Digital India, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, etc.
Bodoland People's Front (BPF) is keen to welcome Modi to Kokrajhar in Assam where he is likely to address a huge election rally planned by BPF at Bodofa Nagar. Assembly elections will be held later this year in Assam. All Koch-Rajbongshi Students' Union(AKRSU), however, has called for 48 hour bandh in Kamatpur as BJP hasn't fulfilled its election promise of giving them tribal status.
"Our Govt is leaving no stone unturned to fulfil development aspirations of Northeast & ensure all round development", PM Modi tweeted before the visit.
