Gujral Appeals To N-E Militants To Come Forward For Talks

Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral yesterday appealed to misguided youths to come forward for talks to solve the long-standing insurgency problem in the northeastern region.

The Centre is keen to hold talks with youths to solve the vexed issue as the country cannot prosper without the development of the northeastern region, he said addressing a pubic rally here after inaugurating the dibrugarh-lumding broad gauge line.

Gujral announced that the government would accord top priority to all ongoing development programmes aimed at betterment of the northeastern region, while paying special attention to make it progressive and prosperous.

Assuring the people of the region, he said the developmental tasks which former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda promised would be fulfilled. He pledged to take the extra burden of solving the financial crisis as requested by state Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta.

Gujral also announced that he would direct the ministry concerned to open a department of Assamese in the Assam university at Silchar at the request of the Asom Sahitya Sabha and also arrange for telecast of an Assamese news bulletin from Dibrugarh Doordarshan Kendra.

I have come here with a peace mission to understand the basic inherent problems of Assam and the north eastern region. Assam is gifted with rich resources, and the huge profit earned from the tea industry should be equally distributed for development of the people of the area, he said.

The communication bottleneck has been removed with broad gauge conversion from Lumding to Dibrugarh, the Prime Minister added.

Giving a detailed account of railway projects to be undertaken, Paswan declared Rs ten lakhs as a prize to the NF railway for expediting the conversion despite natural hazards.

Minister of state for railways Sat Pal Maharaj said the Rajdhani Express will start running from Dibrugarh to Delhi from August seven.

Steel minister Biren Prasad Baishya said earlier the people of Assam had to struggle for their minimum needs, but now the United Front government, particularly I K Gujral, had given top priority to the problems of Assam and NE region.

The prime minister later flew to Borjhar airport in Guwahati with his entourage. He drove to the Raj Bhavan to hold discussions with the state council of ministers and forum of regional parties.

Gujral will be accorded a civic reception at the Rabindra Bhawan followed by dinner at the chief ministers residence. He will halt for the night at Guwahati.