New Delhi, Mar 15 (UNI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday attended the transfer of Assam Riflles Battalion land to the Government of Mizoram and formal exchange of maps ceremony in Aizawl.

'Describing the event as a significant milestone in Mizoram's development, Shah said that for nearly 35 years a long-standing demand was there to relocate Assam Rifles to interior areas due to space constraints caused by topography and facilitate overall development of Mizoram, including Aizawl', a Home Ministry statement said.

He highlighted the acute shortage of space in Aizawl is stifling its modernisation and increase of public facilities. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s crucial decision for fulfilling this decades-old demand today.

The Home Minister said that this decision is not merely an administrative move but is a testament to the government's responsibility towards the people of Mizoram and its commitment to the state's progress.

He said Modi’s visionary decision will make a large area of land available in a key region of Mizoram, giving a new direction to the state's development.

Shah also noted that this will be regarded as the most significant decision in the history since the establishment of the first army camp in Aizawl in 1890.

He said the government has been actively working for the past 10 years to strengthen and integrate the entire North-East. The Minister highlighted that the government is driving unprecedented development in the region, spanning sectors from tourism to technology, sports to space, and agriculture to entrepreneurship.

Shah pointed out that from independence until 2014, all previous Prime Ministers collectively visited the North-East 21 times, whereas since 2014, Prime Minister Modi alone has made 78 visits.

Additionally, he noted that before 2014, Union Ministers, apart from those from the North-East, had visited the region only 71 times, whereas in the past decade, the number of visits by Union Ministers has exceeded 700.

The Minister stated that the North-East is not only witnessing rapid development but also experiencing unprecedented peace.

Shah emphasised that the government has undertaken road construction projects worth Rs 5,000 crore in Mizoram over the last decade. He noted that 10 helipads have been built for Rs 2 crore, and the Bairabi-Sairang Railway project has been launched at an investment of Rs 5,000 crore.

He reaffirmed the Centre’s unwavering commitment to building a developed, peaceful, secure, and beautiful Mizoram.

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