NE needs dedicated leaders : Gadkari
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 23 2012: In view of the large number of BPL families which constitute a major chunk of the population of North East India, the region requires dedicated and competent leaders who have empathy for the poor and can share their woes, stated BJP president Nitin Gadkari.

A team of media persons belonging to Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh toured Nagpur district of Maharastra recently and visited several industrial units there.

The industrial units taken up by Purti Group under a long term vision of Nitin Gadkari to alleviate economic condition of the poor included three sugar factories, one agro-based power industry and fertilizer factories.

The media team who visited those rural based agro-industries was led by BJP general secretary Tapir Gao who is also in charge of Manipur and Nagaland and BJP Manipur media affairs secretary L Basanta.

After completion of their tour to the newly established innovative industrial units, the visiting media team was accorded a warm reception at Nitin Gadkari's home located at Vidarbha, Nagpur.

Gadkari interacts with the media from Arunachal and Manipur

Talking with the media persons, Gadkari highlighted the need for dedicated leaders who can bring a socio-economic revolution in the North East region in order to alleviate socio-economic status of the poor.

Stating that standard of living of the rural poor can be improved only when their knowledge is enhanced by giving proper education, the BJP president clarified that his efforts towards socio-economic reform was not related with his position as a politician.

He went on to assert that of all the activities he has undertaken 80 percent concern the welfare of the people while politics accounts for the remaining 20 per cent.

After listening patiently to the accounts given by the journalists about the pathetic condition of power and transport infrastructure in the North East region, Nitin Gadkari offered that the technologies being used in power projects in Nagpur district can be adopted free of cost, if necessary.

He said that he was working as a social entrepreneur in team spirit by focusing on rural/agricultural areas.

The question of profit never figured in these projects, he chipped in.

Reassuring that the Vision Document published by BJP for the North East region would be surely translated into action, Gadkari claimed that BJP is a committed political party.

For BJP to strive towards a meaningful change, it is irrelevant whether or not the people support the party.

BJP would never turn back against the commitment it gave to the people.

Talking about Manipur, the BJP president stated that it is paramount to focus on three sectors��potable water, electricity and transport/communication.

In Manipur, there is no such thing as politics.

It is only 'money politics', he asserted.

He also opined that Manipur should pay more attention in tourism, sports and development schemes/projects which would not harm environment.

If BJP comes to power at the centre, BJP would certainly pay extra attention to the North East region.

BJP would set up engineering colleges and hospitals in the region on priority basis.

Technologies needed for tapping solar energy and establishment of wind mills would be provided free of cost.

If BJP comes to power, job facilities would be provided to around 10,000 educated unemployed youths within the first year itself.

BJP has also programmes and policies to give employment to 50,000 people in the following year, Gadkari said.

The media team from Manipur appealed to the BJP president to send experts to Manipur to set up agro-based power projects and industries as done in Nagpur.

Responding to the appeal, Nitin Gadkari re-assured that Manipur would be given the requisite technological assistance.

The industrial projects taken up at Nagpur include manufacturing of sugar from sugar-cane, generation of power, brewing of alcohol, manufacturing of fertilizers and generation of power from rice husk.