Itanagar, Mar 9 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, virtually from Itanagar, inaugurated 123 key developmental projects including the ambitious Sela Tunnel project in Arunachal Pradesh.

PM Modi also laid the foundation stone of 95 new projects worth Rs 55,600 crore in six northeastern states -- Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh.

These developmental projects comprise sectors like rail, road, health, housing, education, border infrastructure, IT, Power, Oil and Gas, among others.

He also launched the UNNATI scheme worth about Rs 10,000 crores.

Addressing the “Viksit Bharat, Viksit North East Program” in Itanagar, the Prime Minister reiterated his vision of ‘Ashtalakshmi’ for the development of the northeast.

Noting that the northeastern region has a strong link of tourism, business and cultural relations with South and Southeast Asia, the Prime Minister said that the development of the northeastern region is the top priority of the BJP-led NDA government.

Launching a new Industrial Development Scheme for the northeast, UNNATI (Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization Scheme), the Prime Minister said that the scheme will strengthen the industrial ecosystem in the region to attract new investment, help set up new manufacturing and services units and boost to employment in the northeastern States.

This Rs 10,000 crore scheme is fully funded by the Center and covers all 8 northeastern states.

The UNNATI scheme will provide incentives for capital investment, interest subvention and a manufacturing and services linked incentive to the approved units.

The Prime Minister dedicated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 41,000 crore in Arunachal Pradesh.

He also laid the foundation stone of Dibang Multipurpose Hydropower Project in Lower Dibang Valley district of Arunachal Pradesh.

To be built at a cost of more than Rs 31,875 crore, it will be the highest dam structure in the country and it will generate power, help in flood moderation and lead to employment opportunities and socioeconomic development in the region.

Other important projects whose foundation stones were laid include several road, environment and tourism projects under the ‘Vibrant Village Programme’, upgradation of schools into 50 Golden Jubilee schools wherein holistic education will be provided through state-of-the-art infrastructure facilities, double lane road to provide connectivity from Donyi-Polo airport to Naharlagun railway station, among others.

PM Modi also dedicated to the nation various important projects in Arunachal Pradesh including several road projects, about 1100 projects of Jal Jeevan Mission, and 170 telecom towers under the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) benefiting more than 300 villages, among others.

The Prime Minister also handed over more than 35,000 houses constructed at the cost of Rs 450 crores under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (both Urban and rural) to the beneficiaries.

The Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of several development projects worth more than Rs 3400 crores in Manipur.

He inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of several development projects worth more than Rs 1700 crores in Nagaland.

The Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 290 crores in Meghalaya.

He inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 450 crores in Sikkim.

The Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 8,500 crore in Tripura.

The important projects whose foundation stones were laid include the construction of Agartala Western Bypass and multiple road projects across the state, the Indian Oil Corporation’s new Depot at Sekerkote to be constructed, and the construction of an Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for drug Addicted Persons.

The Prime Minister also inaugurated a land port at Sabroom along Bangladesh in South Tripura district constructed at a cost of about Rs 230 crore.

The newly developed Sabroom Land Port is located along the international border between India and Bangladesh and it will provide facilities like the passenger terminal building, cargo administrative building, warehouse, fire station building, electrical substation, and pump house.

The land port would facilitate the movement of passengers and cargo between India and Bangladesh as through the new port one can move directly to Bangladesh’s Chittagong port, which is 75 Kms away as opposed to moving to Kolkata/Haldia Port in West Bengal which is about 1700 Kms away.

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the Sabroom Land Port in March 2021.