Rajnath Singh in a meeting with Northeast state chief ministers also discussed infrastructure. (File)
Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said the central government is committed to speedy development of Northeastern states, especially areas along the international border. Chairing a meeting of chief ministers and senior officers of four Northeastern states called to review the security situation in their states on the India-Myanmar international border, Rajnath Singh said the region is rich in human and natural resources.
"Our government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to fast-tracking the region's development. Extension work on spreading road and rail networks is on in a mission mode," he said.
"The meeting discussed the status of border infrastructure along the India-Myanmar border and implementation of the Border Area Development Programme projects," a Mizoram Home Department official said.
The official said Rajnath Singh also reviewed the status of streamlining the Free Movement Regime for better facilitation of movement of people across the border.
Besides Rajnath Singh's deputy Kiren Rijiju, chief ministers of Arunachal Pradesh (Pema Khandu), Manipur (N Biren Singh) and Mizoram (Lal Thanhawla), Nagaland Chief Minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu's representative, and state Home Minister Yanthungo Patton, chief secretaries, Director Generals of Police, Director General of the Assam Rifles, and senior state civil and police officials attended the meeting.
Rajnath Singh said Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram got Rs 567.39 crore in three years under the Border Area Development programme. He and Kiren Rijiju were scheduled to visit India-Myanmar border areas by a helicopter, the official said.
Rajnath Singh also met Mizoram Governor Lieutenant General Nirbhay Sharma (retd) at Raj Bhavan in Aizwal.
"Shall review security and development-related issues with CMs of north-eastern states bordering Myanmar," Rajnath Singh tweeted ahead of his arrival in Mizoram capital Aizawl today morning.
The unfenced India-Myanmar border along Mizoram is frequently used by people to smuggle drugs, firearms and contraband from Myanmar, an official said. Arunachal Pradesh (520 kilometres), Manipur (398 kilometres), Nagaland (215 kilometres) and Mizoram (510 kilometres) share the 1,643- kilometre-long mountainous border of India with Myanmar.
The government has
successfully transformed the Northeast and retrieved the region from several decades of continuous neglect within three years, union minister Jitendra Singh had said recently.
Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the government has
initiated major infrastructure projects in the seven Northeast states, including investing Rs 40,000 crore to improve the roads and highways.