Guwahati, Jan 23 :  Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that the central government is taking all possible steps  in promoting Northeast on the world tourism map and bringing about rapid progress and prosperity in the region.

Addressing the 69th plenary session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) in Shilling, Shah said whether its natural beauty or rich cultural heritage, the region has immense potential to become a big tourism hub of our country.

"When Modi ji became the Prime Minister, he said in the very beginning that the development of India lies in the development of the Northeast. The region which was neglected for decades has witnessed unprecedented peace and development under PM Modi," he said.

The Home Minister said that from increasing livelihoods to bringing several development projects, NEC has played a crucial role in fuelling the economic growth of the region.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and Union Minister for the Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh, who is the Vice-Chairman of the Council, received Shah at the helipad in Upper Shillong.

Except Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Governor Jagdish Mukhi and Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga, Governors and Chief Ministers of six other northeastern states took part in the important plenary session of the NEC, a regional planning body.

Ministers and officials of Assam and Mizoram, however, attended the meeting, where a large number of central government officials participated.

The NEC, which was set up in 1971, is the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the northeastern region comprising Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.

Shah, who arrived in Guwahati then flew to Shillong by helicopter on Saturday on a two-day visit to Meghalaya and Assam. His schedule includes attending the plenary committee meeting of North Eastern Space Application Centre in Shillong and the launch of Ayushman Bharat Yojana for the Central Armed Police Force personnel and their families in Guwahati.