North East CMs lobby Roy's candidature for IFAD top post

Shillong, Jun 17 (UNI) Chief Ministers of the North Eastern States have decided to ask the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government to nominate Meghalayan's Phrang Roy as India's candidate for the post of the International Federation of Agriculture Development (IFAD) president.

Former Lok Sabha Speaker and Chairman of Meghalaya Planning Board Purno A Sangma have already written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other senior national political parties leaders to support Mr Roy as the country's nominee for the top post.

Mr Roy, a tribal Khasi, is currently the Assistant President of IFAD with its headquarters in Rome, Italy.

IFAD, a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference.

The IFAD president is elected by its member countries. The election to the IFAD president post is slated for April 2009.

Considering that there is nearly a year's time for the election of the IFAD president, Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram has told Sangma that it would be too early to assess India's chance of getting its candidate elected to IFAD president's post.

''I will be going to Guwahati to garner support for Phrang Roy from North Eastern states so that we speak to the centre in unison for his candidature as India's nominee to IFAD president's post,'' Mr Sangma told UNI here.

Mr Sangma said he is optimistic that Chief Ministers of other NE states will support Roy irrespective of their party's affiliation as it would make the region proud if Roy is elected as IFAD president.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Donkupar Roy has already written letters to other North Eastern States Chief Ministers to lobby with the union government for Mr Roy's candidature.

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