Source: The Sangai Express
New Delhi, August 29 (PTI):
Members of Parliament from the Northeast today sought creation of the post of a Minister of State under Prime Minister's Office to tackle the problems of the region and asked Centre to speed up developmental activities in the region to check the educated unemployed from joining insurgency.
The delegation, which called on Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, also suggested that funds under the non-lapsable pool be invested to purchase 50-seater turboprop aircraft for Indian Airlines' subsidiary, Alliance Air, to resolve the long-pending problem of air connectivity in the region, senior Congress MP PR Kyndiah, who led the delegation of Northeast MPs Forum, told PTI.
He said creation of the post of MoS would go a long way to speed up developmental activities, especially those under the Prime Minister's package for the North East.
The MPs urged the Prime Minister to initiate more short duration schemes so as to involve growing number of educated unemployed youth who formed the base of insurgent outfits.
"The problem of unemployment has to be tackled on an urgent basis," Kyndiah said.
A BJP delegation from Nagaland, led by former Himachal Pradesh Governor Hokishe Sema, also met Vajpayee and urged him to take steps to streamline the functioning of Nagaland University.