india

Updated: Oct 05, 2019 16:20 IST

The Narendra Modi government at the Centre is committed to the development of Mizoram and has doubled the allocation of funds for developmental projects in the state than what the UPA government had done, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Saturday

“The Modi government is committed to the development of Mizoram and solution to all its problems,” Amit Shah said as he inaugurated the Northeast Handloom and Handicraft Expo in Aizawl during his one-day visit. The exhibition was organized by the North East Council.

“I want to assure the chief minister that for Mizoram’s development whatever help he needs from the Government of India, Prime Minister Modi is eager to provide through the DONER ministry,” Shah said pointing to Zoramthanga, the chief minister of Mizoram and Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DONER) who were present in the event with other officials.

Shah said that since Modi became the Prime Minister, he has tried hard to take the Northeast on to the path of peace and development even as he listed how Mizoram received just Rs 19,974 crore during the 13th Finance Commission when the Congress was in power. The amount has been hiked to Rs 42,972 crore during Modi government, Shah said.

Shah listed the work and various developmental projects undertaken by the Narendra Modi government and said Aizawl will be connected with a broad gauge rail line with the state’s railhead at Bairabi likely by 2021.

Shah also said the Centre is going to spend Rs 1,432 crore to build 1700 kilometres of national highways in the state. He listed how 23,000 people were given LPG connections under Ujjwala scheme, 35,000 families were provided with toilets, 21,000 families got houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and how the government has set a target of providing electricity connection to 22,000 families out of which 6,000 families have already been covered.

The Union Home Minister also met chief minister Zoramthanga and civil society representatives. The meeting came against the backdrop of the state government’s opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill which proposes to fast track citizenship to non-Muslim minority refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

While the influential NGOs withdrew their plan to protest against Shah’s visit after an appeal by the state government and the BJP state unit, activists of PRISM, an anti-corruption movement which turned into a political party and Mizoram People’s Conference were part of peaceful demonstrations across Aizawl against the proposed legislation.