New Delhi, July 2: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today unveiled the Northeast Vision 2020 document with a robust infrastructure plan — rail link between all state capitals of the region, Rs 31,000-crore for road improvement and a greenfield airport at Itanagar.

“Infrastructure deficiency is a major concern in the region. We will link all the state capitals in the region by rail network and Rs 31,000 crore will be invested on roads during the 11th Plan,” Singh said.

The greenfield airport at Itanagar will have enough flights to connect the region with the rest of the country.

“Let development now be the leitmotif of the northeastern region. For too long has violence been the dominant recurrent theme of discourse for the Northeast. It shall now be development,” the Prime Minister told a packed Vigyan Bhawan. “There is no grievance that cannot be represented through a ballot box and no grievance that can be redressed through a barrel of a gun,” he said.

A Rajya Sabha MP from Assam, Singh called himself the “adopted son” of the region and pledged the Centre’s commitment to bring the region on a par with rest of the country in terms of growth.

“I am confident that within the framework of our democracy we can continue to prosper and ensure that the fruits of such prosperity are spread equitably to all sections of our society and all regions of our country.”

All villages on the Arun-achal Pradesh border will soon be electrified at a cost of Rs 550 crore, he said. “We are committed to inclusive and equitable growth. We will set up a NTFT and IIT at Shillong.”

Prepared by the National Institute Public Finance and Policy and the DoNER ministry, and approved by the North Eastern Council, the document also contains ambitious strategies to ensure peace and progress, maximise self-governance and improve agricultural produce.

A “green revolution” specific to the region is part of the government’s vision 2020. Though the chief ministers of only four of the eight states of the Northeast — Assam, Aru-nachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Meghalaya — made it to the programme, governors of seven states were present during the unveiling ceremony.