NDA government starts ousting UPA appointees in north-east

GUWAHATI: BJP led NDA government has started ousting UPA appointees in organizations meant for Northeastern region.

Full-time member of North Eastern council ( NEC) Ashoke K Dutta relinquished his post following a call from a senior officer of Doner ministry.

Dutta was founder director of IIM Shillong. Dutta has submitted his resignation letter to the President of India.

Taking to ET, Dutta said he has relinquished his charge. “I was appointed in 2013 after a rigorous selection process with tenure of three years.”

Political analysts view this situation as unprecedented as in past no NEC members were asked to put in papers in this manner. “There are instances when the members of NEC have continued for several years despite the change in government in the centre. However this is first step to make inroads in the centre government organizations meant for eight states of Northeast India.”

Dutta added that the atmosphere in the NEC is no longer conducive for any kind of real planning and development work.

Sources in Doner ministry confirmed the developments. A senior official in NEC said that during the recent chief ministers’ conference in Guwahati which was organized by Doner ministry two members were not invited.

Regional planning body NEC, which is under the Doner ministry, has 20 member, 16 members consists of Governors and chief minister of eight Northeastern states including Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.

Two members with minister of state rank are selected by the centre besides Doner minister there is one member from planning commission.

Doner is the controlling ministry in case of three or four organizations including NEC.