BJP leaders accuse UPA govt of ''neglecting'' NE

Itanagar, June 4 (UNI) BJP leaders of the Northeastern region have accused the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre of ''neglecting'' proper functioning of the DoNER Ministry, which was set up during the previousBJP-led NDA government.

Party sources said here today the BJP leaders, at a special meeting at New Delhi yesterday, alleged that the Congress had tactically ''weakened'' the Ministry rather than taking any logistic measures of strengthening it during the last four years.

''The long isolation of the region needs no further explanation but the need of the hour is to evolve logistic plans and development strategies to bring the region at par with the national mainstream beyond partisan political consideration,'' the leaders observed.

The BJP High Command was appraised of the urgent need to strengthen the DoNER Ministry considering the vast geographical area and typical problems confronted in different states of the region.

The leaders further termed it ''unfair and unjust'' to the region if the DoNER Ministry was abolished and the North East Council (NEC) was put under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs under which, they said, the region had ''bitter experiences in all respects for more than 50 years after Independence.'' The party's High Command attention was drawn for revamping with required modalities in order to give a proper and smooth shape to the Ministry in the event of the BJP-led NDA government returning to power at the Centre.

The NE BJP also apprised the party leaders of the need for setting up a North East BJP States Coordination Forum where all the state BJP presidents and general secretaries of the NE states would share the regional problems, address local and regional issues and put practicable and focused attention in implementing various policies and programmes, besides the party's longtime drawn development blueprints in true perspective.

The leaders also stressed the need for setting up a North East Security Council in the spirit of the National Security Council considering the fast growing threats on the life and security of the people in different parts of the region with deteriorating law and order situation.

Expressing concern over the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants problem faced by the NE and consequences of rapidly changing demography in the region, the leaders urged the High Command for expediting the work of border fencing and evolving proper and broader border management policies for the region, the sources said.

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