OUR CORRESPONDENT
DEOMALI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that the inter-state boundary dispute between Arunachal Pradesh and Assam is likely to be resolved by this year.
Asserting that efforts are underway to make the North-East insurgency-free, he said that 9,000 militants from the region have surrendered during the last eight years of the Narendra Modi Government at the Centre.
Addressing the golden jubilee celebrations of Ramkrishna Mission School at Narottam Nagar in the Tirap district of the State, Shah said that the Centre is committed to bringing about peace and development to the region.
He said that the Governments of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam are working for an amicable and permanent resolution of the inter-State boundary dispute.
"Almost 60 per cent border disputes between Assam and Meghalaya was resolved amicably and I am confident that the dispute between Arunachal and Assam will be settled before 2023," Shah said.
"Youths of the North-East no longer carry guns and petrol bombs. They are now carrying laptops and are launching start-ups. This is the path of development that the Centre has envisaged for the region," he said.
"Manipur, which was earlier known for bandhs and blockades for more than 200 days a year, is now witnessing a sea change without any bandh during the last five years of BJP rule in the State," he said.
Shah said that the insurgency in the Bodoland region of Assam was resolved through the signing of the Bodo Peace Accord.
"Surrender of militant groups in Tripura and resolving of the Bru refugee issue was undertaken by the Modi Government. The Union Home Ministry has taken initiatives to bring peace to Assam's Karbi Anglong," he said.
The Union Home Minister said that a three-pronged agenda has been prepared for the development of the North-East.
"Firstly, we would preserve and promote the indigenous cultures and languages of the region. Secondly, we want to end all disputes among the Northeastern States and make it free from insurgency and, thirdly, we want to make the eight States the most developed in the country," he added.
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