Modi government doubled fund allocation to Mizoram: Amit Shah

While inaugurating the North East Handloom and Handicraft Exhibition, organised by the North East Council in Mizoram’s capital city Aizawl, Shah said that, Mizoram is now become one of the most developed state in the country.

Amit Shah who is also the Chairman of the North East Council said that, Mizoram is the symbol of most peaceful state.

“Mizoram the most disturbed state in country could become most peaceful state. The NDA government has already allocated Rs 42,970 crore to Mizoram through the 14th Finance Commission. The previous UPA government had allocated only Rs Rs 19,900 crore to the state through the 13th Finance Commission,” Shah said.

Mizoram had witnessed a two decade-long insurgency since 1966, that ended with signing of a peace accord between the Zoramthanga-led Mizo National Front and the Union government in 1986.

The Union Home minister assured Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga that, the Modi government will extend all possible support to the state for development.

This is Amit Shah’s first visit to Mizoram after he becomes the Union Home minister.

Amit Shah further said that, Mizoram has great potential in bamboo cultivation and it a wealth of the state.

“This wealth can be utilized for development of handicraft sector and self-sufficiency could be achieved through manufacture and selling of bamboo made products. Handloom and handicraft have given scope to provide employment and prosperity of North Eastern region including Mizoram. Handloom will play a bigger role for progress of the region,” Shah said.

He further said that, railway link with Vairabi will help linking Aizawl with rail network soon.

On the other hand, during his visit to the state, several organizations including the People’s Representation for Identity and Status of Mizoram (PRISM) party and Mizoram People’s Conference (MPC) party had greeted the Union Home minister by staging street demonstration to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

The protesters standing from AR Ground and Treasury Square in the capital city of Mizoram showed different placards to Amit Shah while his convoy passed through the area.

On the other hand, an umbrella organisation of major civil society bodies and student associations of the state met Amit Shah at the Raj Bhavan in Aizawl over the issue of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

The Mizoram NGO Coordination Committee had submitted a memorandum to the Union Home minister and demanded that the bill should not be legislated in the parliament and if the bill is passed then Mizoram and other North Eastern states should be exempted from its ambit.

Recently, Amit Shah said during a public meeting held in Kolkata that, the centre will bring the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill to grant Indian Citizenship to the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

The Union Home minister also said in the fourth conclave of BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) held in Guwahati that, the centre will not touch the Article 371 of the constitution which gives special status to the North Eastern states or allow any legislation that overlaps the tribal laws, local acts and inner line permit in the North Eastern states.

“I would like to state that, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill will not interfere with tribal laws, indigenous people’s rights that protect the identity and culture of the region. We have already fixed December 31, 2014 and will not grant citizenship to those enter after the cut-off date,” Amit Shah said in the fourth conclave of NEDA.

On last Thursday, several organizations of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland had staged massive protests against the centre’s move to implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath, Guwahati)

(Image Credit: IBNS File)