Dr. Jitendra Singh announces 'DoNER at doorstep' concept

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh has announced the concept of ‘DoNER at doorstep’ during an interactive programme called “Meet the DoNER Minister” organized by a social organization “My Home India”, here yesterday. Dr Jitendra Singh has discussed the objectives of the DoNER Ministry and a host of new initiatives undertaken during the past four months ever since he had assumed the charge of this Ministry.

Dwelling on some of the recent initiatives undertaken, he said, he is proud at the success of the concept of rotational Camp Secretariat introduced in January this year which is unique of its kind and is meant to convince the people of Northeast that for redressal of their grievances, they need not each time travel to New Delhi, but New Delhi can also reach their destination. He has therefore, coined and introduced the expression “DoNER at doorstep” for this concept and such Camp Secretariats have already been held in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh and third Camp Secretariat is scheduled to be held in Mizoram from March 29 onwards, he added.

Under the guidance of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, the DoNER Ministry has formulated a roster wherein during each given fortnight, at least eight Union Ministers from New Delhi will be visiting Northeast which means that one Minister each will be available in each of the eight States every 15 days. This will help them to make an assessment of the development works related to their Ministries and also enable them to gain first-hand inputs from the local population there, he added.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said that Northeast is a cherished priority and a part of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi’s vision which reflected in the announcement by him of a Sports University in Manipur during his recent visit there. Taking cue from this, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, DoNER Ministry has already started the process of locating land for bringing up exclusive hostels for students from Northeast and two such locations have already been earmarked in the premises of Jawarlal Nehru University Campus New Delhi and South Campus of Delhi University.

Stressing upon the Northeast youth in the gathering that it is their responsibility to highlight the huge contribution made by them to the academic and social life of the Union Capital of Delhi, Dr. Jitendra Singh lamented that while sometimes Northeast is in news for unflattering reasons, the lesser known fact is that Northeast students are also contributing immensely to the academia of Delhi. Citing figures, he said very few are aware that in some of the Universities, like for example Jawaharlal Nehru University, there are more than 6% students from Northast which when calculated, amounts to at least 60 students from each of the eight Northeast States, which is a figure higher than the number of students from certain States like Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.

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KSD/PK/BK