MP urges Centre for special financial packages

Itanagar, Feb 23 (UNI) Arunachal Pradesh MP Kiren Rijiju has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to provide special financial packages to the state to improve the economic condition of the people.

While welcoming the Centre's initiative for giving special economic packages to some states as 'peace bonus', the MP urged for similar bonus to Arunachal Pradesh.

Drawing attention of Dr Singh in Lok Sabha yesterday, Rijiju said, ''Depriving the already peaceful state from economic benefit through special grants would be viewed by the people as discouraging and negative policy of the Union government,'' a faxed message from Delhi informed here today.

The MP from Arunachal West Parliamentary constituency requested Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil to provide a special financial grant for modernisation of state police.

The anti-insurgency activities were threatening the peaceful co-existence of the state, the MP added.

Lauding the state police for its efforts to check trouble, Rijiju said the state police was ill-equipped and did not have sufficient funds to raise its numerical strength and acquire modern weaponaries.

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