<span style="color: #222222;">Union minister for railways, communications and electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's huge commitment, emotional connect and real passion for India's Northeast are reflected in many ways.<br />''<br />''He said that the Prime Minister has visited the Northeast around 50 times and always stresses on his ministers to personally supervise projects in the region.<br />''<br />''He added that the Prime Minister has ensured that politics is a means to serve and not a means to rule. Mr Vaishnaw was speaking at the launch of a postal special cover on "Go Green, Go Organic" in Samman Bhawan, Gangtok today.<br />''<br />''He highlighted the gradual increase in yearly budget allocation for railways in the Northeast from Rs 2000 crores before 2014 to 10,000 crores rupees in Budget 2023-24. He said, this has ensured momentum in project development across the region and justice for people.<br />''<br />''Mr Vaishnaw said that India is fortunate to have a leadership which believes in developing technology. Stressing that the country aims to become a technology leader and exporter, he cited the example of India's growth as the second largest mobile handset manufacturer globally from 99 per cent imported handset use around 10 years ago.<br />''<br />''He informed that India is now among the four countries which develop comprehensive software for telecom towers and will become a major exporter of telecom equipment in the next two-three years.<br />''<br />''Mr Vaishnaw urged people to avail of the postal export facility of Daak Niryat, in line with the Prime Minister's vision of connecting artisans, manufacturers and weavers from small villages to global markets.<br />''<br />''AIR correspondent reports, Providing an update on the under-construction Sevoke-Rangpo rail project connecting Sikkim to the rest of the country, union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that Bande Bharat will reach the state by December 2024, in line with the Prime Minister's dream of the worldclass train connecting all corners of the country.<br />''<br />''Mr Vasihnaw informed that in the next phases, the project will connect Sikkim's capital Gangtok, for which one of the three proposed alternative alignments has to be selected.  <br />''<br />''He assured that 5G will be available in Sikkim before 15th August, 2023. Launching the postal special cover on "Go Green, Go Organic" Mr Vaishnaw appreciated Sikkim's efforts to become the first certified organic state. </span><br />