Shillong (Meghalaya), July 12: Union Minister for DoNER and Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia during his visit to the North Eastern Council, here today launched the North East Region Agri Commodity E-Connect (NERACE) web portal and mobile application, designed to benefit the farming community and buyers in the Northeastern region.
The NERACE app is intended to support agricultural and horticultural products such as spices, fruits, vegetables, pulses, cereals, and minor forest produces. It aims to provide farmers with access to larger markets, better negotiation opportunities, premium pricing, and real-time availability updates. It will additionally offer the buyers direct access to verified sellers, high-quality products, transaction, planning, negotiations, logistics support, and foster long-term relationships.
Currently, the NE region boasts 20 GI products that are exotic, high-value, and rich in health benefits. Under one platform, it will provide support in English, Hindi, Assamese, Mizo, Manipuri, Nepali and Khasi languages.
Speaking on the benefits of the NERACE web portal and app, the Minister said, “The dream of a self-reliant India- Atmanirbhar Bharat and a Viksit Bharat can only be realized when we have Atmanirbhar Northeast and a Viksit Northeast and when you talk about an Atmanirbhar Northeast and a Viksit Northeast that reality is wholly and solely dependent on a Viksit and Atmanirbhar Annadata – the farmers of the Northeast and I do really believe that if you look at the protagonist of the new emergence self-reliant India, farmers have to be at the forefront of that monumental change. … Through the NERACE app, my farmers and my Annadata in the Northeast will be not only be connected to her market interstate, intra Northeast, and intra India but will be connected to the world. And this app will be able to accentuate the ability of my Annadata to reach the globe and will connect three important stakeholders – the producers, the buyers and the service providers; it will also install a sense of pride in the agricultural community.” The Minister said that NE-RACE will play a pivotal role in positioning the North-East as a hub of high value horticultural products. It will make the farmers of the region not just the producers but also as a reliable partner in the international agri value chain, he added.
Scindia also chaired a review meeting of ongoing schemes and projects wherein a presentation on the first draft of the NER Vision 2047 was delivered by Angshuman Dey, Secretary of NEC, with contributions from Professor Mahendra Lama, Chairman of the Drafting Committee. The vision document outlines eight goals for the development of the North East Region, including establishing it as a South Asian power hub, leveraging border areas as opportunities, promoting it as a green destination, creating an economic corridor, becoming a center for climate studies for the Indian Himalayan Region, developing medical and adventure tourism, serving as a melting pot of youth and culture, and achieving a peace dividend.
The visit featured a tree plantation ceremony by the minister, dedicated to the memory of his mother under the “Ek Ped Maan Ke Naam” (One Tree in the Memory of Mother) program. He also interacted with local farmers who are the beneficiaries of farming and agriculture projects funded by NEC.
The DoNER Minister, earlier today held a meeting with Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, wherein the areas of core competence and comparative advantage were outlined. “I, on my part as Minister of DoNER, have outlined the path that we need to take in the NER looking at each individual state for a comparative advantage going forward and to be able to build on that. I have been truly taken aback and pleasantly so with the plans that the Chief Minister has for the new Shillong investment area,” he said, adding that ideas were discussed as to how a new modern city with traditional strengths can be built further looking at areas of core competencies of tourism, agriculture, IT and how we should build that further for a Viksit Purvottar.
“We will continue to work together, not only on particular projects for Meghalaya but also on a macro strategy vis-à-vis the rest of the northeast states vis-à-vis 36 states and UTs in the territory of India and also vis-à-vis our immediate neighbors. There is a tremendous amount on our plate as we have gotten up today in terms of building blocks we need to strategize on and I look forward to working on that with the Chief Minister,” said Scindia.
The DoNER Minister underlined the efforts of the central government under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi in bringing the NE region at the forefront. The Prime Minister has looked at not necessarily Look East Policy but at Act East Policy, he stated, “…He has looked at Northeast being the farthest end of the country to being the first entry point of the country, the gateway of the country and rightfully so, because when the as the sun shines on India, the first place that it casts its rays is in Arunachal Pradesh and therefore, the Northeast should be looked at as the Gateway to India, which is the Prime Minister’s prerogative.”
He highlighted that there has been a significant increase in the budget allocation to the region since 2014-15. He cited that almost 40,000 kms of roads have been built under PMGSY, airports have grown by nine to 17 in NE and the intention is to push more towards infrastructural development.
The Minister further stressed on an outcome-based approach. “Look at outcomes and not just outlays. We will make sure all our states ensure a social audit. A hospital must have doctors and nurses, a school must have teachers. A social audit as to how many patients have been treated, how many students are being taught, that is monumentally important in our path of progress.”
Speaking on the ongoing flood situation across the Northeast, Scindia extended his deepest condolences to the families who lost their near and dear ones. “All our state governments are working very hard, taking care of our citizens and any assistance required by the central government and DoNER Ministry will be provided,” he stated.
