Udupi: P.B. Acharya, Governor of Nagaland, said on Tuesday that strengthening the eight States of North-East India was the need of the hour.

He was speaking as the chief guest at a function to felicitate D. Veerendra Heggade on his completing 50 years as Dharmadhakari of Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala at Rajangana here. The Rashtra Ratna Prashasti was conferred on Dr. Heggade.

Mr. Acharya said that people from the mainland should make an effort to visit these eight States and establish their projects there. The North-East was abundant in natural resources. There were nearly 300 insurgent groups operating in the North-East. These States also had international borders. They either bordered China, Mynamar or Bangladesh. The insurgents did not feel that they were part of the country.

Hence, it was up to the people of the mainland to reach out to them. “Both Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Paryaya Pejawar Mutt and Dr. Heggade are icons of our times. They should start their projects in the North-East,” Mr. Acharya said.

In his felicitation speech, Vishwesha Tirtha Swami, said that there was no field of welfare which Dr. Heggade had not touched. He had made his contribution to several fields, including healthcare, education, Ayurveda, Yoga, and also promoting self-employment. “I hope he will get the Bharat Ratna,” he said.

In his speech, Dr. Heggade said that it was the activities of the Pejawar seer which had inspired him to take up welfare schemes.