During the first three years of the 11th Plan (up to December 2009), 210 projects worth Rs 540 crore have been sanctioned by the Ministry of Tourism for North East states. Sultan Ahmed, the Union Minister of State for Tourism said that his ministry is taking special interest in promoting North East Region (NER) as ‘Paradise Unexplored’. Though the Ministry of Tourism (MOT) had earmarked 10 per cent of the plan allocation for NER, the funds released by MOT to NER has far exceeded the limits, he informed.