Source: The Sangai Express
Shillong, August 30:
Internal security and development initiatives in the North East would figure in the agenda of Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil�s three-day visit to the region beginning Saturday during which he would also assess the situation in Manipur.
Meghalaya Chief Secretary Peter J Bazeley told reporters here today that the Chief Ministers� Conference of eight North Eastern States, including Sikkim, on Saturday here would deliberate on internal security and development initiatives.
The political situation in Manipur and Assam � the two trouble-torn North Eastern States � would likely to be discussed in the three-hour long meeting.
Next morning, Patil would fly to Imphal to personally assess the law and order scenario in Manipur.
On Monday, he would return to Shillong and meet the 23 Lok Sabha and 13 Rajya Sabha members from the region followed by a meeting with the North Eastern Council and the chief secretaries and development commissioners of the North East, Bazeley said.
He would leave for Delhi the same afternoon.
The chief secretary refused to divulge the con- tents of a memorandum the State Government would submit to the Union Home Minister.
"The cabinet has to decide on it," he said.
Patil�s visit was taking place at a time when two States of the region were on the boil, Manipur being the worst-hit with widespread agitation for withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers� Act.
The serial bomb blast in Assam by ULFA also worsened the situation in the larger state.
Patil reviews NE situation: Ahead of his maiden visit to the insurgency-hit North-East, Home Minister Shivraj Patil today held a high-level meeting to review the situation there and deliberated on issues to be taken up with State Governments.
Patil is scheduled to visit the region from September four for three days, the first by the Home Minister after the Congress-led UPA Government came to power at the Centre.
The meeting was among others attended by Home Secretary Dhirendra Singh and other senior ministry and department officials, the sources said adding the closed-door meeting chalked out modalities for the visit.