Itanagar, 9 March

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday claimed that the Congress would have taken 20 years to do the kind of development work which was executed by his government in the last five years in the Northeast.

The PM was addressing 'Viksit Bharat Viksit North East' programme in Arunachal Pradesh's Itanagar after unveiling development projects worth Rs 55,600 crore in the region. "The Northeast is going to become a strong link in India's trade, tourism and other relations with South Asia and East Asia. Today (on Saturday), projects worth over Rs 55,000 crore have been unveiled here," he said. "The Congress would have taken 20 years to do what we have done in the last five years in the Northeast," PM Modi said.

The prime minister said that one can clearly see what "Modi's guarantee" is if he visits Arunachal Pradesh. "The entire Northeast is watching how Modi's guarantee is working," he said. The PM also said when he was working for the development of the country, leaders of the opposition bloc INDIA were "attacking" him.

Modi on Saturday inaugurated the Sela tunnel that will provide all-weather connectivity to Tawang. The inauguration of the Sela tunnel after the foundation laying ceremony in 2019 was a "testimony to Modi’s guarantee", he said. "Some people thought that I laid the foundation of the strategic tunnel as an election agenda but they were proved wrong today,” Modi said.

The Sela tunnel, situated at an elevation of 13,000 feet, is strategically important due to its proximity to the Line of Actual Control (LAC), an official said.

Speaking on the opposition leaders questioning about the prime minister's family, Modi said the entire northeast and the country is his family. “My priorities will be to ensure that every family in the country gets clean drinking water, houses, gas connections, electricity and internet facilities to fulfil the dream of 'Vikshit Bharat,” the PM said.

The people of the Northeast have been witnessing the development activities launched by the NDA government in the region. “In my third term, my thrust will be on the tourism sector, home-stay and start-ups for unemployed youths and I guarantee full support to those who want to begin such ventures,” Modi said. “Our aim is to make three crore women in the country lakhpati didi," he added.