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Act East Policy yet to pick up pace

The Union Ministry of External Affairs is taking steps to boost connectivity between the Northeast, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Act East Policy

Sentinel Digital DeskBy : Sentinel Digital Desk

  |  16 Sep 2022 3:06 AM GMT

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Union Ministry of External Affairs is taking steps to boost connectivity between the Northeast, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

According to the information given in the Assembly by Act East Policy Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, the Centre constructed 69 bridges, including approach roads in the Tamu-Kyigone-Kalewa Road Section and the Kalewa-Yargi Road Section. These two sections are parts of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway. "The government has inaugurated a newly-restored railway link between Chilahati in Bangladesh and Haldibari in India. Governments of both sides are restoring the Kulaura-Shahbaspur Section of the Bangladesh Railway, which will provide railway connectivity to Assam," the Minister said. The Minister further said that Bangladesh and India signed an MoU agreeing that Bangladesh would allow the use of the Chittagong and Mongla Ports for goods movement to and from India.

He also mentioned the start of the Guwahati-Dhaka bus service and flights from Guwahati to Bangkok and Dhaka under the Udan Scheme.

On July 1, 2019, Guwahati-Dhaka flights started, only to stop in October the same year. Gruk Air did also start the Singapore-Guwahati air service. That also stopped. The Guwahati-Bangkok flights also met the same fate. The proposed flights from Guwahati to Singapore, Yangon, Kathmandu and Hanoi are yet to materialize.

It was the Look East Policy first, which the Modi government renamed Act East Policy with a focus on Asian countries, economic integration, East Asian countries and security cooperation. The government took some measures in that direction, but the process is still to pick up the pace. They hold meetings, interactions and joint conferences without much development. Developing the Northeast as the hub of the Asian countries is still far from becoming a reality.

However, the Minister claimed, "The Agartala-Akhaura Rail link between India and Bangladesh is about to complete. The revival work for the defunct railway transit facilities between India and Bangladesh through Mahisasan Point on the international border with Bangladesh in the Karimganj district is progressing in full swing."

He also said, "For making available high-quality and high-speed internet access to the Northeast, BSNL has recently commissioned additional international bandwidth for internet connectivity through Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh. It will also reduce latency and congestion in internet traffic to and from the Northeast region. Under this policy, Bangladesh set up its Assistant High Commissioner office, and Bhutan set up its Consulate office in Guwahati."

Also Read: Conclave on 'India's Act East Connect: Prospects and Challenges'

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