Dimapur, May 28 : Governor of Assam and Nagaland P B Acharya has called for support to the peace process in Nagaland if there were to be a movement toward a permanent solution to the protracted Naga political issue.
Addressing the 65th plenary meeting of the North East Council (NEC) on May 26 in Shillong, in Meghalaya, Acharya said that it was “time for all of us” to support the peace process to see it to a permanent solution.
“…we have to introspect and review as to how we can facilitate the process of bringing in permanent peace in this region for all round development of the region and for realizing the benefits of the Act East policy enunciated by our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modiji,” Acharya stated in his speech a copy of which was received her Saturday.
“The framework agreement signed between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) on 3rd August, 2015 is a momentous development which deserves to be welcomed by all. This gives us a great opportunity to put the troubled past behind us. This is the time for all of us to support the peace process for a permanent solution,” Acharya said.
The governor also sought using the NEC as a platform for peace and development. The council came into being by an Act of Parliament and acts as the “nodal agency” for the economic and social development of the region comprising 8 states.
“During the last 3 decades or so, NEC has been instrumental in setting the stage and ushering in a new hope for the development in this region,” he said.
On more concrete matters, the governor expressed gratitude for a passport office and a veterinary college in the state. “I thank, on my behalf and also on behalf of Government of Nagaland, the central government for setting up of a Regional Passport Office at Dimapur and approving setting up of veterinary college in the state.”
The governor also gave a report on the medical college for Nagaland. The Nagaland government has acquired 40.251 acres of land in Kohima at an estimated cost of Rs.233.76 crore. “It may be expedited,” he added
The governor also made a pitch for development of the tea and bamboo industry. “The tea industry can be promoted in our state for which the projects are equally good and it should be promoted with help up to North Eastern Council. It can help entrepreneurs by providing seed money for setting up of bamboo based industries,” Acharya said. He also sought ‘air connectivity’ specifically the Dimapur-Imphal-Agartala-Kolkata/Guwahati route.
Likewise, he requested the council to build food parks and a solar park and cold storage for the NE states. “I also request NEC to set up Food Parks in all the NE States. For setting up of solar power plants in Nagaland, the financial support provided by MNRE will have to be increased significantly to bring down the cost of solar energy. The viability gap funding may be increased from 30% to 70%. We request NEC to draw a plan for Cold Storage Chain to preserve our organic vegetables and fruits.”
Another pitch he made was for skill development: The skill development sector has to be accelerated on a war footing, Acharya said. “There has to be a constructive dialogue between industry, Trade, commerce, and Universities and Higher Education so that need and supply will be addressed. We should also take into consideration our natural mineral wealth and introduce new academic courses to create wealth.”
An important aspect of cultural connection that the governor felt would bring cultures of the region and that of the mainland was ‘emotional integration.’
In his words, ‘emotional integration as a part of fellowship exchange and people to people programme under my initiative and motivated by the Indian National Fellowship Centre, Mumbai, groups of specialized doctors from Mumbai have come to Nagaland and conducted free medical camps at various places in Nagaland and also distributed free medicines and conducted free surgery to the needy patients.”
