Shillong, June 25: Meghalaya chief minister Donkupar Roy today said the Centre’s proposed Look East Policy would not benefit Meghalaya and suggested the need to improve economic ties with Bangladesh instead.
“Bangladesh is very close to us. Rather than follow the broad Look East policy, the northeastern states should explore possibilities of expansion of trade with Bangladesh,” Roy told reporters today.
He said other chief ministers of the northeastern states shared his opinion as far as the Look East policy was concerned. Before Partition, there was flourishing trade between the northeastern sector and erstwhile East Bengal. Even the traditional border markets, which existed along the Meghalaya border with Bangladesh, had improved the living conditions of the people of the border areas, he added.
“Our concern should be to look at the immediate neighbour and not to wait for the broad banner of Look East policy to develop the northeastern states,” the chief minister said.
He said the opening of border markets, discontinued after Partition, and starting bus services from Tura and Shillong to Dhaka would boost trade and tourism prospects with Bangladesh.
According to Roy, the Look East Policy does not mention anything about the possible tie-up of the northeastern states with Bangladesh for trade and business promotion.
He said the present policy would only benefit mainland India more. The ideal situation would be for the northeastern states, including Meghalaya, to improve the economic ties with Bangladesh rather than look at their distant neighbours.
Roy said he and the chief ministers of Assam, Tripura and Mizoram were keen to visit Dhaka to explore the trade and business opportunities. The matter had been communicated to Union minister for development of northeastern region (DoNER) Mani Shankar Aiyar.
Uranium issue: The chief minister expressed concern over the Congress’s decision to stay away from the all-party committee meeting on uranium scheduled to be held in the first week of July.
“We have invited the Congress, including other political parties, and it was upto them to attend the meeting,” Roy said.
