NE states seek measures to combat spread of insurgency

NEW DELHI: All North Eastern states, including Sikkim, on Saturday sought immediate measures to check the spread of insurgency and infrastructure development so as to invite large investments in the region to enable the states to achieve the eight per cent growth target set in the Tenth Plan.
Asking for funds to the tune of Rs 17,000 crores from the Central Government to help achieve the Plan target, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said as par "internal assessment total resources required to achieve the growth target of 6.2 per cent fixed for the state was estimated at around Rs 25,000 crores while resources estimated for the 10th Plan by the Planning Commission was Rs 8315 crore creating a gap of Rs 17,000 crores".
He said factors like inadequate investment, low rate of capital formation, population growth, weak communication linkages, inadequate infrastructure facilities, perpetual food problem and gross wastage of natural resources resulted in the deceleration of the state''s economy.
Attributing the decline in growth rate in Arunachal Pradesh to "inability of the state to attract private investment", Chief Minister Mukut Methi said, "investments by the state government also stagnated and declined in real terms. The central assistance has also been declining in real terms."
He said "despite taking steps envisaged in the Tenth Plan for enhancing revenues and compressing expenditure" the state has been unable to raise resources to a significant level.
"Till the basic infrastructure is created and resources of the state such as hydro power, forest, tourism and horticulture are adequately developed, the expectation of substantial revenues will not be justified," Methi said drawing Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee''s attention towards the setting up of National Institute of Bio-diversity qrStudies in the state.
Identifying poverty and unemployment as the two basic issues needing highest priority in his state, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said "much greater attention to agriculture sector needs to be given. While all out efforts are needed for enhancing agriculture productivity, we also need to implement land reforms in letter and spirit to ensure equitable distribution of income."
He called for investment in the infrastructure sector and exploration of hidden potentials such as natural gas, horticulture, rubber and forest to help achieve the eight per cent growth target while highlighting the tremendous scope in border trade with Bangladesh.
Voicing similar concerns, Chief Minister of Sikkim Pawan Chamling said, "poverty in the state is enmeshed in protracted feudal practices of the past, topographical ruggedness, inadequate delivery services, prolonged socio-economic deprivations and poor quality of political governance."
Calling for consistent and substantive public and private resources in the service oriented sectors of power, IT, health, tourism, education and natural resources, Chamling said resources in these sectors should be focused as these have huge employmenmt potentials.
Calling for a "specialised approach in the Five Year Plans" to address problems like insurgency crippling states like Nagaland, Chief Minister S C Jamir said, "The Tenth Plan paper does not touch upon special problems being faced by the state. A high level of insurgency and secessionist movements are plaguing several parts of the country. Answer to many of these problems is sustained economic development."
Highlighting the need for peace and stability and stating that growth rate of many states including north eastern states would remain far below the national target of eight per cent, Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga said, "development of industries in the north-east region has remained far from being satisfactory."
"Credit Deposit ratio is miserably low, communication is poor and our relations with potential neighbours are always fragile."
Stressing the need for developing the economic corridor linking maninland India with the NER through Bangladesh Zoramthanga suggested setting up of a special commission on the lines of Shukla Commossion to examine critical issues relating to the economic development of the region.
Chief Minister of Meghalaya D D Lapang called for special assistance for the state to complete the road development projects which play a "critical and pivotal role in the state''s economy in the total absence of railways and inland waterways."
He also asked the Central Government to take initiatives to tap the enormous hydro-electric potential of the state.