Union Home Minister Amit Shah chairs the 72nd Plenary Session of the North Eastern Council (NEC), in Agartala.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday (December 21, 2024) that police in the Northeastern States should change their orientation and, instead of solely focusing on combating insurgency, should ensure that every citizen is granted their constitutional right to property, honour and family protection.
“For years, the focus of the police in all States was solely on combating insurgency and violence. However, now that violence has almost ceased in the Northeast, it is time to ensure that every citizen in the region is granted their constitutional right… it is time to change the culture and direction of the Northeast police,” Mr. Shah said.
With peace prevailing in the region, the focus should now be on ensuring citizens receive their rightful entitlements, he added.
He mentioned that the prerequisite for achieving this change is the complete implementation of the three new criminal laws across all States in the region.
He was addressing the 72nd plenary of the North Eastern Council (NEC) at Agartala in Tripura.
The Minister urged all the Governors present at the meeting to personally monitor this process, as it was crucial to establish the belief in the Northeast that citizens can obtain justice through filing an FIR.
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a campaign for a drug-free India, in which the Northeast has a special responsibility, as a major route for narcotics entering India passes through the States there. While significant work had been done over the past six years in this direction, the pace was still not sufficient.
He said connectivity was no longer a problem in the region, as the Centre had spent ₹81,000 crore for rail connectivity and ₹41,000 crore for road network in the northeastern States. He said that the Northeast can be utilised better for palm oil cultivation.
Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, along with Governors, Chief Ministers of all the eight northeastern States, and senior officials, were also present at the event.
The council is the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the northeastern region, consisting of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
At another event during the day, Mr. Shah asked the country’s banks to frame separate guidelines for the Northeast, saying the region’s development was a national responsibility.
Addressing a Bankers’ Conclave, he said the banks should try to devise proper policies so that the Northeast’s potential could be explored properly.
Published – December 21, 2024 09:04 pm IST