New Delhi/ Agartala, August 17 (TIWN): Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Dr Jitendra Singh urged the MPs from the 8 North eastern states to play a proactive role in various development projects launched by the central government in past 14 months.After taking over the charge of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), he started the process of regular interaction with the MPs from northeast in order to keep them on board in every decision-making, because they were important stakeholders for anything that was planned for the region. Singh urged the Members of Parliament from the eight North Eastern states -- Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura, Sikkim and Manipur - to play a proactive role in the various initiatives and development projects launched by the Narendra Modi government during the last 14 months.Referring to some of the innovative programs, he said, the Organic Farming Mission, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is already in the pipeline and after going through the process of inter-ministerial consultation, it will be placed before the cabinet.

An amount of Rs 125 crore has been earmarked for this mission in the current financial year," he informed the MPs.

Singh also talked about "DoNER at doorstep" initiative, wherein the officers of the ministry hold camp secretariat on rotational basis every month in each of the eight states. It has also sent out a positive signal that for redressal of their grievances, people of Northeast need not travel to Delhi but on the other hand, DoNER can also travel to their doorstep.

This meet has become all the more imperative considering the fact that across the party lines, the region has a huge number of MPs who, regardless of their political affiliations, share certain common views which are of great significance for the development of the region.

This was for the first time that a DoNER Minister had tried to reach out exclusively to the MPs and hold one-to-one interaction on a personal basis with them.