Now, night stays mandatory for ministers visiting North-East

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has now made one-night stays mandatory for Union ministers who visit the northeastern states -- an effort to send out a message that the insurgency-hit region is safe for all. The directive comes two years after the Prime Minister's Office planned fortnightly visits of Union ministers to the region.

Tourism and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said linking tourism and development in the Northeast and making it a tourist destination for people from all over the world is the "Prime Minister's dream".

"To ensure that, he has asked all the Union ministers to not only take trips to the Northeast states, but also to stay the night there," he said.