Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh today announced new projects to link all state capitals in the north east region by rail among others for the region as part of the North Eastern Region Vision 2020 Document

Dr Singh also announced that a green-field airport would be set up at Itanagar to connect the region with the rest of the country.

Saying that infrastructure deficiency in north-east was a "major concern",  Dr Singh has earmarking of Rs 31,000 crore to improve roads.

"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," Dr Singh said.

Releasing 'Vision Document 2020 for the North-Eastern Region' in New Delhi on Wednesday, he said besides developing rail and air connectivity, the government was also committed to improving road facilities during the Eleventh Plan.

He also announced that all villages on the Arunachal Pradesh border would soon be electrified at a cost of Rs 550 crore.

On the need to raise farm sector sector productivity in the north-east, Dr Singh said, a second Green Revolution specific to the region was required.

Describing the north-eastern region as the land of rising sun for India, he said time has come "for the sun to shine brightly on it. The vision document defines the path to that bright future."

The document envisages an ambitious strategy for the region to eradicate poverty and rope in investors.

It deals with challenges to ensure peace and progress, empowerment of people by maximising self governance, rural development with a focus on improving agricultural productivity, augmenting infrastructure besides others.

The document emphasises that the 'Look East Policy' should focus on the region and take a view that the Southeast Asia begins from the northeast and through opening up of trade routes in the region could be accelerated growth and expansion of economic opportunities.

On the key issue of peace, the document says people of the region wanted to live in peace and harmony and free from insurgency. It says the region requires a participatory development strategy which calls for maximisation of self-governance.

"Without peace, progress is not possible. Insurgency has taken a heavy toll on economic progress and people's happiness in the region. The people of the northeast would like peace to return to their lives, leakages to cease and development to take precedence," it says.

There is a need for a complete shift in the development strategy and the planning process towards designing and implementing people-centric programmes based on harnessing resources of the region.

Only such a strategy can ensure inclusive development, help alleviate poverty and ensure a reasonable standard of living for every family in the region, the document says.

The Vision Document, approved by the North-east council, also lays stress on promoting education in the region. "We are committed for inclusive and equitable growth. We will set up a NTFT and IIT at Shillong," Singh said.

(See: Text of PM's speech at the  Release of North Eastern Region Vision 2020 Document)