New Delhi, April 14 (PTI): Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Thursday called on Union Minister Jitendra Singh and discussed various state-related issues ranging from development to placement of all India services officers.
Rio appreciated Singh's keen interest and focus on the development of the Northeast and said the people of the state always look upon him as their messenger in the national capital who is always ready to follow up on issues of their concern, a statement issued by the Personnel Ministry said.
The chief minister brought to the notice of Singh, the Union Minister of State for Personnel, some of the issues related to deputation and placement of IAS officers in Nagaland.
In response, the minister said he will ask the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to give due consideration to all these issues and examine what best can be done.
The chief minister also requested the Union minister to follow up with the central government on the progress of some project proposals for Nagaland.
Singh said that his office will take due cognisance of this.
The minister said it is primarily because of the high priority given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the Northeast has today undergone miraculous transformation which is difficult to believe and the Northeast model of development is now being cited as a development model in other parts of the country as well.
He said the most striking example of Prime Minister Modi's priority for the Northeast is evident from the fact that in the first six years of his tenure as Prime Minister before the COVID-19 pandemic, he had undertaken more than 50 visits to the northeastern states, including frequent visits to the state of Nagaland.
This, Singh said, may be more than the total number of visits undertaken by all the earlier prime ministers put together to the north eastern states.
The Union minister said Modi has diligently and painstakingly not only ensured all-round development in the Northeast but has also enabled the people there to play the mainstream role of participation in nation building.
The result of this is that the youth from the Northeast are now seen in a leading role across the country, particularly in tourism and aviation industry, while the youth from other parts of the country are heading for the Northeast in search of new avenues of livelihood and start-ups.