New Delhi, November 05: Advocating sustainable development of the North Eastern Region, DONER Minister PR Kyndiah said interest of the indigenous people of the region would not be compromised in the pursuit of economic prosperity.

Speaking on the topic �Tribal Affairs and Development of North East Region� on the third and final day of the 5th Editors� Conference on Social Sector Issues at Shastri Bhavan here today, the Minister said utmost care would be taken to preserve the rich cultural and traditional heritage of the region while seeking to improve the economically weak region which is blessed with abundant natural resources.

When pointed that the main cause for the economic disparity in the region is corruption and not lack of Central funding, the MP from State said his Ministry is aware of it and would take stringent measure to curb corruption.

He however, did not elaborate on measures to be adopted by Doner to check fund misuse when Manipur State was refered to as one of the most corrupt States of the region.

Regretting that the national media fail to understand that the NE region is by and large peaceful, he called upon the media fraternity against highlighting only the negative points but to give equal importance to positive development and prospect of the NE region.

Urging the national media to portray the region in a more positive manner, he said, "role of print and electronic media is vital not only in promoting the tourism potential of the region but would also go a long way in encouraging investment for expeditious economic development".

While Kyndiah was keen to wipe off the trouble zone tag from the region, Tourism Minister Renuka Choudhury, it seems, was placing equal stress on making her department more attractive with her leading from the front.

Back to the national capital only a few hours after her tourism promotional tours to European countries, Renuka swayed her way into the crowded conference hall clad in a blue sari with all the matching make-ups resulting in the delegate members reaching for their lenses.

Sporadically referring to North East as part of the UPA�s Look East policy, she said unlike in the past, the Congress led Central Government�s policy on tourism sector emphasizes on developing tourism infrastructure in rural areas.

Explaining on the new Look East policy, the Minister said while Indians have the inclination to migrate to urban areas for jobs and comfort, the foreign tourists are more keen in exploring rural India where there are hardly any modern facilities and people live harmoniously with the natural surroundings.

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