Shillong: Home Minister Amit Shah held a crucial meeting with the chief ministers of the 8 Northeastern states in Shillong. Host of issues crucial for permanent peace & holistic development of North East were discussed in the meeting attended by chief secretaries and Director General of Police (DGP)s of the states. Home Minister Shah emphasised a drugs free Northeast in the coming years in the discussion. It should be mentioned that the Assam government has intensified the operations against drug rackets in the past two months. After the meeting Tripura chief minister Biplob Dev said in the media 'likewise Assam, all NE states will intensify anti-drug operations with interstate corporations".
Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu said that interstate border disputes were discussed elaborately in the meeting with the Home Minister. The centre wants to settle all border disputes of the Northeastern state before 2024. The Home Minister also accessed the law and order situation of the NE states. He also briefly discussed the insurgency issues in the crucial meeting. Security in the international borders adjoining the Northeastern states was also reviewed by the Home Minister. It is worth mentioning that the Northeast shares long international boundaries with China, Myanmar, Bhutan and Bangladesh. Shah also discussed various tourism projects in NE states for the economic upliftment of the region. Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio said that Naga Political issues were also discussed in the meeting chaired by the Home Minister. Rio stated that the Naga peace talks are in the final stage. But due to some reasons, it has been at a halt for the last five, six months. The Nagaland chief minister urged the Home Minister to resume talks as early as possible.
Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy, Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh were also present in the meeting held in the state convention centre Shillong. Later the Meghalaya pressure group met the Union Home Minister and submitted a memorandum with various demands. Their demands include the start of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in Meghalaya. Amit Shah will visit Guwahati on Sunday before leaving for New Delhi.
