MHA to hold Home Secretary level meeting

Shillong, Jan 5 (UNI) With the worsening security scenario in the Northeastern states, the Union Home Ministry has proposed to convene a high-level Home Secretary level meeting in Nagaland, a senior official said today.

The proposed meeting assumes significance in the wake of insurgency-related violence in Assam and the recent imposition of President's rule in Nagaland, besides reviewing the overall law and order situation in three poll-bound states of Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland.

Home Secretaries and Director Generals of Police of North Eastern states, besides top Army and para-military officials, would attend the meeting, scheduled at Chumukedima Police Training Centre on January 16.

Joint Secretary (Home) in-charge North East would chair the proposed meeting.

The meeting would review and also try to chalk out a contingency plan for coordination between different security agencies in the Northeastern states, a senior Home Ministry official told UNI here.

The high-level meeting would also assess the volatile security scene in the region, especially in Manipur and Assam. The ongoing assault by ULFA militants and insurgent groups in Manipur would be taken up for review during the meeting.

Sources said the meeting would attempt to evolve a coordinated approach to counter inter-state insurgency in the region.

The meeting would be an annual event and would be held in different parts of the northeastern region on a rotation basis.

UNI RRK SJC AM HT1816