Nagaland walking through development: Shah

January 7, 2023 76 Views No Comment

Makes Nagaland trip shielded from public interface

Morung Express News
Dimapur | January 6

Amid a rising chorus of demands calling for ‘Solution, not election,’ Union Home Minister, Amit Shah landed in Nagaland on January 6. The visit today was not accompanied by the routine pomp and fanfare that surrounds visits by political dignitaries from Delhi, while a Nagaland state government kept the Home Minister off limits from the public or any civil organisation or the media.

Shah, as per the official grapevine, flew in from Imphal to remotely inaugurate 5 projects at a programme organised at the Niathu Resort in Chümoukedima. The projects included virtual reality laboratories in 42 government schools, Atal Tinkering Labs in 9 other government schools, a 12.5 MVA electricity sub-station in Chiephobozou, a trekking base camp at Mt Saramati and the controversy-ridden Doyang Bridge at Liphanyan in Wokha district. The 5 projects came at a combined worth of Rs 52 cr.

In the customary address of the dignitary in a crammed hall, Shah claimed that he was overwhelmed by the diversity and cultural “richness” of a land he was returning to after a long time— a land, as rumor has it, known for the “way they treat their women.”

Using an English interpreter, his approximately 15-minute speech largely focused on the development vision of the Narendra Modi-led government for the northeast and Nagaland in particular.

Modi’s vision
“Because of the enduring vision of the Prime Minister, not only Nagaland but all the 8 states of the NE are walking through stages of development,” he said.

According to him, the Modi government’s vision of three Ps— Peace, Progress and Prosperity for Nagaland and “mainstreaming” of the northeastern region are bearing fruit today.

He then highlighted how the averred vision was implemented and how the Modi government made it a point to get closer with the northeast. “It is a matter of great joy that the Prime Minister himself, in the last 8 and a half years, has visited the northeast 51 times… and some of the biggest infrastructural projects have been allotted to the NE,” he said.

Funding
He said that there has been a 4 fold increase in development funding to Nagaland during the BJP/NDA era (2014-till date) as opposed to the UPA era (2004-14). “The 15th Finance Commission has, infact, allocated a humongous amount of Rs 4773 cr for Nagaland,” he said, while stating that only Rs 1283 cr was allocated in 2009. An additional Special Package of Rs 219 cr was allocated in 2021-22, he added.

Schemes
He went on to name other infrastructural schemes such as the rail line to Zubza (Kohima) and 15 National Highways worth Rs 4127 cr, running a length of 266 km. Under the PMGSY, he informed that approximately 4157 km of roads worth Rs 1180 cr have been made.

He then dropped names like the Jal Jeevan Mission, Ayushman Bharat, PMAY and PMKSN; the GoI’s COVID-19 vaccination programme and free rice to “every poor family in Nagaland” during the pandemic.

AFSPA
As far as the security situation was concerned, he said, “The process of repealing AFSPA from Nagaland has already started in a gradual manner.” From 2014 to 2021, he said that there has been a 74 percent reduction in violence related to “insurgency” and 60 percent reduction in the death of security forces personnel.

For a place known “for its insurgent groups,” he said that it is a great transformational story from unrest to peace and progress through connectivity and development. Connectivity, he added, not just through through roads “but also the emotional connect that exists between different parts of India and the NE today.”

Elections
He ended the speech making a fleeting mention of the impending Assembly elections. He said, “We are standing here today on the eve of elections, we have an existing alliance over here in Nagaland, and I firmly believe that we will contest the elections and will see to it that we come to power with full majority…”

Private meetings
The inauguration programme was followed by Shah having a seating with BJP members. As per official sources, the meeting was with a ‘Core Committee’ of the BJP. He also met former Governor and Chief Minister Dr SC Jamir separately. This portion of his itinerary was not printed in the English version of the programme schedule. It was printed in the Hindi version.

Source: https://morungexpress.com/nagaland-walking-through-development-shah