Aiyar urges Northeast CMs to take up problems with Centre

Kolkata, Feb 11 (UNI) Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Mani Shankar Aiyar has appealed to all the Chief Ministers of the Northeast to apprise the Union government of the problems faced by the states so that they could be resolved expeditiously.

Talking to reporters here last night at the closing ceremony of 'Crafts and Weaves of Asom' at the Oxford Bookstore, Mr Aiyar urged NE people to consider themselves as a vital part of India and insisted they not to ''feel out of place''.

He said the people must cooperate with the government and assured them that the identity of their states would not be compromised.

''Your states have abundant natural resources and are culturally rich with distinct heritage,'' he told the people.

The Centre has decided to spend about 10 per cent of the total budgetary allocation every year for the Northeast region, he said.

UNI