PM announces Rs.10,271-cr. package for North-East

By Our Special Correspondent

SHILLONG, JAN. 22. The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, announced here today a Rs. 10,271-crore ``Agenda for the Economic Development'' for the North-East and Sikkim, implying that two earlier packages - of Rs. 6,100 crores and Rs. 7,000 crores - announced by two former Prime Ministers, Mr. H. D. Deve Gowda and Mr. I. K. Gujral, have been given the go-by.

Later, answering questions at a press conference at the Raj Bhavan here, Mr. Vajpayee explained that some of the projects included in the new package would be financed out of the plan allocation, while funds for some others would be made available from outside the Tenth Plan.

However, a close scrutiny of the new package reveals that some of the schemes - like fencing and construction of roads on the Indo- Bangladesh border - are ongoing projects while some others, like Rs. 500 crores from the non-lapsable pool of the Centre for the North-East are actually transfers from one head to another.

Mr. Vajpayee also said that some projects in the new scheme were time-bound while others were not but efforts would be made to complete them ``in the shortest possible time''.

He said the North-East Council (NEC) would be the nodal agency for implementing the schemes. A Bill will be introduced in the next session of Parliament to vest more powers to the NEC.

However, monitoring the progress of work on different projects will be done by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) as the Prime Minister himself will oversee development and anti-insurgency exercises in the North-East.

The Home Minister, Mr. L. K. Advani, who was also present at the press meet, declined to name any militant outfit as being used by the ISI of Pakistan. ``We have information that several underground outfits are getting funds and arms from Pakistan and have even gone to Pakistan, but I will not name them,'' he said.

The Prime Minister's public meeting at the Polo Grounds here this afternoon was rather a poor show by the ruling combine of UDP and BJP, as only about five thousand people turned up to hear Mr. Vajpayee.

PTI reports:

On security-related expenditure (SRE), the Prime Minister assured that the Centre would further expand the list of items of expenditure incurred by the police eligible for reimbursement. It would include 50 per cent cost of petrol, oil and lubricants, he said and added village guards, village defence committees and houseguards would be extended to Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.

He said the scheme to modernise the police force would be extended to Sikkim and the total additional reimbursement would be Rs. 40 crores per year.

Mr. Vajpayee said the Government would also sanction three Indian Reserve Battalions (IRBs), one each for Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur. With an estimated annual expense of Rs. 15 crores for three years, setting up of these battalions would cost Rs. 45 crores, he said.

The Prime Minister ruled out any negotiations on the question of sovereignty but said the Government would enter into a ``meaningful dialogue'' with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN). ``There is no question of any negotiation on the question of sovereignty.''

Mr. Vajpayee said it has been decided to fence the remaining portion of the Indo-Bangladesh border and construct border roads with a total outlay of Rs. 1,335 crores. The work is to commence in April.

A Central University would be set up in Mizoram and a Bill in this regard has been passed by Rajya Sabha and would be taken up shortly in Lok Sabha.

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