STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: A week after publication of the final NRC that excluded names of over 19 lakh individuals in Assam, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday asserted that no “illegal migrant” will be allowed to stay in the country.
Shah’s assertion came during the 68th plenary session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) at Assam Administrative Staff College where he was addressing the Chief Ministers of eight NE States on Sunday afternoon.
“Various people have raised all kinds of questions on the NRC. I want to clearly say that not a single illegal migrant will be allowed to stay in the country by the Government of India. That is our commitment,” Shah said. He also said that the NRC was completed in a time-bound manner.
On other hand, highlighting various plans of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP to enable the North East to contribute a major share to the country’s development, Shah said the NEC will complete 50 years of its existence along with celebration of 75 years of India’s independence in 2022.
Shah asked the NEC to start preparing the roadmap to bring about a sea change in development of the region by 2022. Referring to Prime Minister Modi’s wish of making NE as the country’s new growth engine, the Home Minister said the BJP government is converting the NEC from planning and policy making body to a robust implementing agency.
“No Prime Minister before Narendra Modi came to the NEC’s meeting. Such development is only evident of the BJP government’s commitment and dedication towards development of the North East,” he said.
Shah remembered music maestro Dr Bhupen Hazarika on the occasion of the singer’s birthday before starting his speech at the plenary session of the NEC. He said Assam and other parts of NE have unique culture and indigenous identity which the BJP government will not get diluted in the name of development.
Exhorting the NE States to resolve their inter-State boundary disputes, the Home Minister said the government will embrace those shun violence. But those who continue their acts of sabotage will have to face the music, Shah said while reiterating the government’s zero tolerance policy all kinds of violence and terrorism. He, however, said there has been drastic reduction in the incidences of insurgency related violence in NE.
Vowing to bring about development even in the remotest parts of the NE, Shah said 30 per cent of the total budget of NEC will be spent for the least developed areas and villages in the region. He said Rs 3,600 crore is being spent for development and modernization of airports in the region.
Finally Shah asked the NE States to accord top priority on successful implementation of the bamboo mission. He said if the bamboo mission is successful the NE can help the country to prevent import papers worth Rs 1 lakh crore.