Aizawl, June 12 2017: The Centre is committed to fast-tracking the development initiatives in the North Eastern region, especially in border areas, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday.
Addressing a meeting of the Chief Ministers of the four North Eastern States which share border with Myanmar, Singh said the region is immensely rich in human and natural resources and its ethnic and linguistic diversities enrich India’s cultural heritage.
“Our Government is committed to the fast tracking of development in the North Eastern region.
Work on road and rail network extension is going on.
We want to extend these networks to border areas,” Singh said in his opening remarks.
The meeting was convened to discuss the issues of India-Myanmar border and attended by Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju besides Pema Khandu, N Biren Singh and Lal Thanhawla, the Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Mizoram, respectively, and Nagaland Home Minister Yanthungo Patton.
“India-Myanmar border is unique in many ways.
It has a visa-free movement regime for the people living within 16 km on either side,” Singh pointed out.
At the proposal to have joint survey by the two Nations on the Indo-Myanmar border, Chief Minister of Manipur, N Biren Singh suggested that representatives of the States concerned should be included in the joint survey.
Praising the Assam Rifles, which guards the 1,643-km-long India-Myanmar border, the Home Minister said the Assam Rifles is performing its duty with courage and determination.
Under the Border Area Development programme, the four States (Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram) bordering Myanmar received Rs 567.39 crores during the last three years, Singh said.
The Home Minister also met governor of Mizoram Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Nirbhay Sharma at Raj Bhavan in Aizawl.
The international border with Mynamar is considered to be porous with cross-border movement of insurgents and smuggling of arms and ammunition common there.
This is for the first time that such a meeting has been called to discuss issues concerning Mynamar border with active participation of the State Governments.
The Chief Secretaries, Directors General of Police (DGPs) of the States, Director General of the Assam Rifles and senior officials from the Central Ministries concerned were also present at the meeting.
Source: The Sangai Express
