Nagaland: Insurgency-related incidents down by 74 per cent, says Amit Shah

Union home minister Amit Shah said the insurgency-related incidents in Nagaland have decreased by 74 per cent in 2021 in comparison to 2014. 

There has also been a reduction in deaths of security forces personnel by 60 per cent and civilians by 84 per cent which shows the law and order in the state is being maintained properly, he said.

Shah further said that the process to remove the AFSPA from Nagaland has been started “slowly”.

Addressing a meeting after virtually inaugurating five projects at Niathu Resort in Chumukedima on Friday evening, January 6, Shah hoped that the projects will help Nagaland’s education and tourism sectors and electricity supply to a great extent. 

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The five projects worth Rs 52 crore include virtual laboratories in 42 government higher secondary and high schools, Atal tinkering laboratories in nine government higher secondary schools, 12.5 MV sub-station at Chiephobozou, trekking and base camp at Mt. Saramati at Thanamir village in Kiphire district and 2-lane RCC bridge over Doyang river at Liphiyan in Wokha district.

Shah said he was overwhelmed by the richness of Nagaland which is a mixture of great tribes, cultures and terraces. He said Nagaland is known in the world for its diversity of 12 organic varieties that have a huge tourism potential.

He added that Nagaland is also known in the world for its culture, ethnicity and the way it treats women with uniformity and oneness.  

But he did not make any mention of the two burning issues of the state – the resolution of decades-old Naga political issue and Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation’s Frontier Nagaland state demand – during his speech.

He said Nagaland, along with other northeastern states, is progressing under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for the all-round development of the region.

“Because of Modi’s vision, the NE which was previously known for insurgent groups is now known for peace and progress through connectivity and development,” he said.

He said the Mod government’s vision of three Ps - peace, progress and prosperity - for Nagaland has been successfully implemented in the state.

He also said there has been a four-time increase in fund allocation to Nagaland in the last eight years in comparison to the previous government, adding a special package of Rs 219 crore allocated to the state as a grant during 2021-22.

Saying that the central government has taken a number of steps to mainstream the NE with the rest of the country, he said PM Modi ensured that every Union minister visits the region once every 15 days. The PM himself visited the NE for a record 51 times in the last eight years which is a record in itself, he said.

Mentioning that Nagaland got the second railway station at Sukhovi after 100 years, Shah said 15 National Highway projects of around 266 km have been inaugurated in the state and that Rs 4127 crore has been spent in these projects. Under Jal Jeevan Mission, he said, 2.18 lakh thousand families have been provided tap water.

He added that three lakh people in the state have benefitted from the Ayushman Bharat project while under the PMAY, the work to provide houses to 54,436 families has been started, out of which around 15,000 houses have been completed.

Under the PMKSY, he said, 2.1 lakh farmers have been given Rs 6000 each every year and the money was transferred to their accounts directly.  A total of 4157 km of roads worth Rs 1180 crore has been constructed in the state under the PMGSY, he said.

Shah also said every citizen in the state, including in remote areas and high hills, has been provided two doses of Corona vaccine free of cost. In addition, each member of poor families was given 5 kg of rice every month by the central government, he said.

Touching on the forthcoming assembly elections in the state, Shah hoped that BJP’s alliance in the state will again form the government with a full majority.

Chief minister Neiphiu Rio and deputy chief minister Y Patton also spoke at the programme.