In the post-COVID era, Northeast will take lead to emerge as an economic power in India, said DoNER Jitendra Singh on Saturday.

"With the support of its huge natural and human skill resource, the northeast will emerge as the strongest economic power of India in the pot-COVID-era," the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) said while interacting with various Self Help Groups associated with North Eastern Region Community Resource and Management Program (NERCORMP) through a webinar.

"Women power of the northeast is taking a lead in all spheres of economic activity due to successful management of corona pandemic," Singh said.

"Women have excelled in the fight against pandemic and helped the northeast to emerge as a model of corona management," he further added.

"Northeast has emerged as a Model of Development in the last five years under Narendra Modi," Singh said.

"And in the sixth year, the region has emerged as a role model of corona management with very few cases and 17 deaths in all the 8 States so far," the minister aid.

Speaking further Singh said, "Northeast consists 60 per cent of India’s bamboo reserve and it is a great advantage that under PM Modi this sector has received the kind of boost which it had never received since independence."

In this regard, he referred to the amendment in the 100-year-old Indian Forest Act brought about by the Modi government in 2017, as a result of which, homegrown bamboo has been exempted from it in order to enhance livelihood opportunities through bamboo.

He also promised to organize an exhibition of products of Self Help Groups in the National Capital after the Corona Pandemic is over.

The minister further said that there has been a significant development in terms of road, rail and air connectivity, helping facilitate the movement of goods and persons not only across the region but also across the country.

"States like Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, which had not seen railways hitherto, are now connected with railways with the national capital," Singh added.

"Similarly, states like Sikkim has seen an airport for the first time," he further added.

He further said that other states were also witnessing the opening of new ports or augmenting the facilities and capacities of the existing ones.

Singh also informed that a new Film and Television Institute after Pune will come up in Arunachal Pradesh soon.

Referring to 14 Aspirational districts of Northeast, Singh said, the concept of Aspirational District was based on 49 key indicators, of which the status of healthcare was an important component.

"Best practices of Aspirational Districts would be shared with rest of India," he added.