Guwahati/Itanagar/Shillong, The Chief Ministers of northeastern states while addressing the NITI Aayog's sixth Governing Council meeting on virtual platform, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, stressed to incorporate history, traditions and culture of the northeastern region in the national education curriculum so that students across the country know better about the region.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said there is need to include more information on the culture and history of the northeastern region in the national syllabus of various classes.

"If this is done it would help to promote national integration," Sangma said stressing the importance of strengthening cooperative federalism.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said that the government of India must include northeast India history and culture in the national curriculum of various stages. Khandu justified that with this, apart from awareness of the rich culture and history of the northeastern states at national level, it would reinforce national integration in the true spirit of "Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat".

"On behalf of the entire northeast, Khandu expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister and his cabinet colleagues for giving special attention to the NE states and said under the present government, all the states of the region have witnessed accelerated development and benefited from welfare schemes," an official release of Arunachal Pradesh government said.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal while participating in the discussion made a special appeal to the Prime Minister who is the chairman of NITI Aayog to give special exemption to Assam with regard to requirement of the size of land for establishing any mega project in the state.

Sonowal said that the density of population in Assam is 397 per square kilometre which is higher than the national average. "Therefore, Assam CM made an appeal to the Prime Minister to impress upon the NITI Aayog to grant exemption so that the state can catch up with other states of the country for setting up mega projects in Assam," an official release added.

Sonowal said that his government has taken up exhaustive measures to boost organic farming and as a result, area under organic farming increased from 6,000 hectares in 2015-16 to 43,000 hectares.

He also said that the state government is also taking steps for facilitating ease of export, agri-marketing infrastructure, uplifting the infrastructure for post-harvest management, cold chain management, marketing linkages. Besides developing air cargo terminals at Guwahati airport to promote export of agricultural products, the government is also supporting innovative and start up agri business and food processing industries.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in a tweet said that he in the NITI Aayog meeting shared points relevant to the state such as agriculture, development of infrastructures and human resources, improving service delivery at grassroot level, health and nutrition.

"I'm confident of continued support to small states like Nagaland and help NE to be an equal partner in transformation to a brighter India," Rio said.