Tripura Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha on Wednesday said that the North Eastern states are witnessing rapid development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while accusing the previous Congress-led UPA government of ignoring the region for years.

After returning from a swearing-in ceremony in Assam, Dr. Saha said Prime Minister Modi has given special importance to the North East by referring to the region, along with Sikkim, as “Ashta Lakshmi.”

He stated that the Centre strengthened focus on the region by creating a separate Ministry for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and implementing the “Act East Policy.” According to him, the Prime Minister is not just speaking about development but ensuring that visible progress reaches the region.

Dr. Saha also mentioned that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had once pointed out that the combined size of the North Eastern states is larger than Uttar Pradesh. He added that the growth of the North East would significantly contribute to India’s overall GDP.

The Chief Minister further said that before 2014, the region remained largely neglected, except during the tenure of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who introduced the “Look East Policy.” He noted that Prime Minister Modi later expanded that vision into the “Act East Policy.”

Praising both leaders, Dr. Saha said they had worked sincerely for the development of the North East. He added that ongoing development initiatives have strengthened public trust in the BJP-led NDA government, resulting in repeated electoral victories for the alliance.