Bhubaneswar, Dec 2: Odisha and Eastern India have the potential to lead ' Viksit Bharat' (Developed India) and create global benchmarks in the days to come, said Education, and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan here today.

Pradhan was speaking at the inaugural session of the two-day international conference on "Purvoday Sambhabana: Reflecton on Regional Connectivity", jointly organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Federation of Industries.

The Union Minister said that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is giving importance for the overall development of East India, this conference is a part of our collective efforts towards the overall development and prosperity of Eastern India. "Odisha has been the biggest beneficiary of the 'Purvodaya Bharat' mission. The visionary leadership and vision of the Prime Minister is creating new opportunities. With natural resources, talented human capital and geographical location, Eastern India and Odisha will lead the growth of Viksit Bharat in the coming days, he contended.

The Union Minister said that out of the 800 crore population of the world, about 10 crore people live in the "Eastern" region ie Eastern and North Eastern states. The culture of our neighboring countries Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Bangladesh is almost the same. The potential of this region is greater than the Himalayas. There is no shortage of skills in these states, including Odisha. The region is rich in natural resources and is inhabited by hardworking human resources.

In the past, this region witnessed remarkable achievements. The overall development of all these regions will be through India, he asserted.

Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V Muralidharan said that the conference will be a significant milestone in the development of the Eastern and North Eastern regions. It will help to increase the closeness between India and the countries of East Asia. Especially in areas like communication, maritime trade and economy, it will play an important role and help in preparing the roadmap. He said that Eastern India and its neighboring countries can be developed in the world market.

On this occasion, in the presence of the Union Minister, three separate MoUs were signed between NSDC and Blinkit, Apna, Quiz Crop to accelerate employment opportunities in the North East and Eastern states.

Among others, Assam Minister Chandra Mohan Patowari, External Affairs Ministry Secretary Saurabh Kumar, Bangladesh High Commission Mustafizur Rehman, External Affairs Ministry Secretary (East) Saurabh Kumar, Scientist Padma Vibhushan Dr Anil Kakodkar, CII President and senior officials were present.

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