With VK Singh in DONER, Kiren Rijiju in home ministry, northeast's security Narendra Modi’s top agenda

GUWAHATI: With Retd Gen VK Singh to spearhead BJP’s pet ministry, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region or DONER, Prime minister, Narendra Modi is infusing military precision to a ministry that has over the years remained a fund disbursal ministry and digressed from its mandate.

Singh will also work as minister of state for External affairs which political analyst felt will come handy as eight states of Northeast India are strategically located for 98 per cent of region’s border is bounded by international neighbours.

With Singh in Doner, Kiren Rijiju in ministry of home affairs as minister of state, new Prime Minister Modi has started dissecting the core problem of the region which is besieged by illegal influx from Bangladesh and border skirmish with China.

Rijiju’s induction in the council of minister can be gauged from the fact that region has several militants outfits having links with terror outfits internationally and growing threat from Maoist.

Former Prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee created Department of Development of North Eastern Region 2001 and upgraded it to a Ministry in 2004 to ensure development with equity for the economically backward region.

Doner which draws is funds from 10 per cent allocation of the annual plan budget of 52 Ministries every year however has failed to make much impact. The Second Administrative Reforms Commission's (ARC) had recommended for abolition of the DONER and relegating all its responsibility to Ministry of Home Affairs.

R S Joshi, Chairman of local industry body, Federation of Industry and Commerce of the North East Region (FINER) told ET,“Doner has lost its relevance and became off-track in last few years. However we now think out of box ideas of Singh will be able to infuse much needed dynamism to the DONER. The ministry requires a complete overhaul.”

BJP in early days has put Arun Shourie in charge of the department, C. P Thakur to worked as minister.

Except Mani Shankar Aiyar, UPA government placed local MPs as in charge minister of the department. However Modi has taken leaf out of Vajpayee’s experience and went a step ahead as it expected that under Singh Doner will also have a security role.

Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi has envisioned security role for regional planning body of North Eastern council. However NEC remained a planning body.

Rijiju added ministry of Home and DONER will work in close co-ordination. “I had a talk with Singh who will look after the DONER and formulate policy, I will look after security issues in Northeast India. We will ensure no Indian are harassed staying anywhere in the country.”

Presently 10 national projects of railways and infrastructure are being implemented however most projects are suffering massive time and cost overrun. Several big tickets power project like 2000 MW Lower Subansiri project are caught in logjam.