Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh has mooted the idea of monitoring of various projects in Northeast through satellite images.
Presiding over a meeting of DoNER Ministry here today, Dr Jitendra Singh said, satellite images using Space Technology can be effectively used for planning and evaluating the progress of various developmental projects in the North-Eastern States. Considering the fact that the Department of Space already has its establishment in Shillong by the name North-Eastern Space Application Centre (NESAC), this should not be a difficult proposition, he said.
Dr Jitendra Singh issued directions for conducting a meeting of the officials of Space Department and the DoNER Ministry at an early date and work out a plan as to how to go about with this plan. He said, the Northeast with its difficult topography and constraints of accessibility, offers an ideal case for using satellite images of roads and other construction works for their precise assessment. The Lat-Long (Latitude and Longitude) images obtained from satellites can also help in verification of the reports regarding the completion of work obtained through other means by actually picking up the precise location at which the work has been done.
Earlier, Union Secretary DoNER Shri Naveen Verma made a detailed presentation focusing on Northeast. He said about Rs. 500 cr having been earmarked in the current Union Budget for installing solar pumps in Eastern and North-Eastern India.
Referring to DoNER Minister’s suggestion to offer incentives to youth who opt for startup initiatives in Northeast, the Secretary said the Department is working on different options including venture fund, offering 30% of loss to be borne by the Ministry, etc.