New Delhi: Amid a deadlock over an imminent solution of the Indo-Naga peace talk, Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai on Friday highlighted the Framework Agreement (FA) signed between the Government of India and NSCN (IM) in 2015 as an achievement of the Narendra Modi government's last 10-years.
Rai did not respond about the latest status of the peace agreement as well as the government’s stand over the NSCN-IM demand for a separate flag and a separate constitution.
In fact, a separate flag and constitution are the two core demands of the Naga rebel groups, which were also reportedly included in the framework agreement.
"There was a framework agreement signed with the NSCN-IM and extension of ceasefire with different Naga rebel groups," Rai told reporters on the achievements of the Centre over the last 10-years in the northeast.
The decades-long talk between the Centre and NSCN-IM is currently in a deadlock over the issue of a separate flag and a separate constitution.
Stating that his government has taken several proactive actions to control the situation in Manipur, Rai said, “We came to an understanding with the two communities (Kukis and Meeteis) of Manipur to bring peace in the State.”
He said over 75 per cent of the geographical area of the northeast has been made free from the Armed Forces Special (Powers) Act following the improved law and order situation of the region.
“The northeastern States have registered a 71 per cent decrease in insurgency-related violence in the last 10 years. There was also a 60 per cent decrease in the casualties of security forces as well as an 82 per cent decrease in the casualty of civilians in the region," said Rai.
More than 9,500 insurgents have surrendered in the last 10 years, Rai said.
The minister said that the region also witnessed a large increase in the budgetary allocation in the last 10 years. "During the last 10 years, the non-exempted Ministries/Departments have incurred a provisional expenditure of Rs 5.22 lakh crore for development of the northeastern region," Rai said.
It is mandatory for all the non-exempt Union Ministries/Departments to earmark at least 10 per cent of their annual Gross Budgetary Allocation towards the development of the northeastern region.
"There was a 152 per cent increase in the budgetary allocation for the DoNER Ministry from 2332 crore from 2014-15 to Rs 5,892 crore in 2023-24,” Rai said.
The region also witnessed a 384 per cent increase in the budgetary allocation in comparison to 2009-14 for the improvement of railway connectivity in the northeastern States.
"From 10,905 km of National Highways (NH) in the region in 2014, the last ten years registered an increase in the NH too with 16,125 km in 2023,’ Rai informed.
“Whether it’s telecom and connectivity, waterways, education, health, agriculture, skill development, employment, electricity and power, tourism, the region marked a huge development in the last 10 years,” Rai said.
