Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday sought direct flights to Bangkok and Singapore from Guwahati to increase the state’s connectivity with the East Asian countries.
The Chief Minister was speaking at India Economic Summit 2018 at the Bombay Stock Exchange.
Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha was also present.
“I want to request from this stage, direct flights to Asian countries like (capital of Thailand) Bangkok and Singapore from Guwahati. Because development is not possible without communication and connectivity. The Central government is helping us in sectors like railways, roads and bridges. (Union Transport Minister) Nitin Gadkari has already sanctioned Rs 1 lakh crore for the infrastructure of North Eastern states, especially for communication infrastructure,” Sonowal said.
“From the time Narendra Modi became the prime minister, he has decided that every Central minister will visit the Northeast every 15 days. Not just visit, solve issues and complete the incomplete tasks of his department….No PM in the last 70 years has taken such strong steps for the North East,” Sonowal said, reports AT.
The region was earlier plagued by law and order problems and corruption, and investors faced many hurdles, he said.
“No work got done without money. When we took charge, we announced that Assam will be made a corruption-free, terrorism-free, pollution-free state. In the last few months a relentless approach has been taken against corruption, and 150 officials are in jail and many have been dismissed,” he said.