Centre on mission mode to develop northeast: BJP president

BJP president Amit Shah on Monday said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government has undertaken an all-out effort to remove backwardness of the northeast region and to give a fillip to its economic development.

"The BJP government has taken ambitious plan on a mission mode to develop connectivity in the northeastern region, setting up of a sports university in Manipur, increase business opportunities between northeast India and neighbouring countries, setting up of hostels for northeast students in different cities in India," Shah said.

While addressing a public gathering here, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Shah said: "Poverty stricken Bangladeshi people infiltrating northeast without any check. Hence, the central government not only tightens the security along Bangladesh border, but also giving an apt reply to the firing from across the Pakistan border."

He said the northeastern states did not see real development because of deep corruption. "Corruption has to be rooted out from northeast so that people of the region see all-round development."

Shah said: "During the 10-year rule of the Congress-led UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government, scams worth Rs.12 lakh crore have been exposed while not a single corruption charge was raised during the 11-month rule of the BJP."

"The 2G spectrum to Commonwealth Games to coal scams helped Congress leaders and ministers pocket lakhs of crores of public money.

"The BJP government auctioned the mines and collected revenue of Rs.2 lakh crore from only 20 out of 220 coal mine blocks. Around Rs.1.09 lakh crore was raised through spectrum auction. This money will be used for the welfare of the people," he said.

He also accused the Communist Party of India-Marxist -led Left Front government in Tripura of "mis-governance".

He said Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar had claimed that the central government would abolish the MGNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme), but it was a falsehood. "The BJP government would further strengthen the rural job scheme."

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, party's national secretary Anil Jain, Tripura observer Anil Deodhar and Tripura state unit president Sudhindra Dasgupta were among others who addressed the rally.

Shah arrived in Tripura on Monday and also held a series of meetings with the party leaders here as part of his visit to the eight northeastern states.

"Since April 16, Shah visited the eight northeastern states in three phases and held a series of meetings with party leaders and addressed public meetings to boost the party organisations," BJP national executive member and Tripura unit president Dasgupta told IANS.

He said: "This was the first extensive visit of any national political party president to all the eight northeastern states."