Centre is ready for talks with insurgents in Manipur if the State Government takes the initiative to bring them to the dialogue table, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Harin Pathak said.New Delhi, according to him, is committed to usher in peace and prosperity in the North-east, including Manipur, in view of the serious insurgency problems and underdevelopment plaguing the hills and the valley districts of the State.

He said the Centre was ready for dialogues with those who shunned the path of violence and joined the mainstream." It is difficult to fight violence with violence," he maintained.The Centre would ensure that the allocated funds for the development of the State and the North-East reach the "poorest of the poor, despite rampant misuse," the minister added ."The prime objective of the BJP is to take the country to the top of the world in the 21st century," he said while on a visit to the state. The formation of DONER, under Dr C P Thakur, is proof to the fact that the party took serious note of the problems in the North-East and resolved to fulfil the aspirations of the people, the minister pointed out.

Pathak said Centre is assisting Manipur in terms of sharing intelligence and providing financial assistance for modernization of the State police force and deployment of security forces, whenever necessary. As of now, ten battalions of CRPF and ten companies of Assam Rifles are on duty in the state. Four more AR battalions would be deployed along the border with Myanmar He said Centre had also sanctioned Rs 40 crore for the modernisation of Manipur police.. Around Rs 48.69 crore have also been reimbursed under the security related expenditure scheme during the past five and a half years.. Funds are sanctioned for setting up a India reserve battalion in the State

FUNDS MISUSE

Over the years, the Centre has provided crores of rupees for development of the north-eastern states, but almost 85 per cent was misused, Harin Pathak regretted. Only 15 per cent of the funds allocated for the developmental works reach the "poorest of the poor" in this region, he said. "I have talked to Arun Shourie (minister for communications) and he has assured me that cellular telephone service would be made available in the North-east, including Manipur in four months time, Mr Pathak said.

|  Headlines  |  Editorial   | From Other Publications  |
|  Travel Column   |   News Briefs  |
| OT Main Page | Nena  Home Page  |