EMN
Dimapur, August 2
Chief Minister TR Zeliang called on Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at his official residence in New Delhi today.
At the meeting, the Chief Minister briefed the Union Home Minister about his last meeting on Security Related Expenditure (SRE) on June 19 and appreciated him for the prompt action in releasing pending SRE of about Rs 60 crore. He has further requested Singh to ask the department concerned to expedite early release of SRE amounting to Rs 236.27 crore pending with the Centre.
Out of the pending SRE, the major components are from the West Bengal government against the deployment of NAP IR battalion amounting to Rs 90 crore. In this connection, Zeliang urged Singh to adjust the pending dues with the state of Nagaland. The pending salary of the village guards amounting to Rs 34.57 crore, expenditure for construction of central paramilitary force accommodation amounting Rs 31.42 crore, pending subsidy of state-run helicopter service and pending SRE for re-deployment of special NAP to Kashipur in UP during 1994 and to Delhi in 1995 were also bought to the notice of Singh.The CM also briefed the Union Home minister regarding the decision of the State government that NAP IR battalion would not be re-deployed for operation against Maoists in Chhattisgarh. The decision was taken since there was huge casualty of Naga IR jawans while performing their duties in Chhattisgarh a few years back and there is still high emotional attachment to the incident. He, however, stated that the State government would be willing to deploy IR battalion to any other states/ places beside Chhattisgarh as per the direction of the MHA.
The issue of cost of raising huge IR battalions was also discussed. The CM brought to the notice of the Union Home Minister that the Centre bears the expenditure for salaries and other allowances only for the raising year and for the remaining years the State Government is bearing all the recurring expenditure and infrastructure requirement. He also stated that in comparison with pre-raising of IR battalion during 1999-2000, the total requirement of budget for recurring expenditure in respect of Police department was only Rs 157.75 crore whereas the requirement during 2013-14 was Rs 944.79 crore, an increase of about 517%.
Zeliang also informed Singh that construction of five IR battalions camps – 11 NAP IR at Aboi, Mon District, 12 NAP IR at Chingtok, Longleng district, 13 NAP IR at Yachang, Mokokchung district, 14 NAP IR at Okhe-zeng, Kiphire district and 15 NAP IR Mahila at Medziphema, Dimapur district – are underway but due to non availability of resources the State government is not able to complete the project. He urged the Union Home Minister to grant one-time assistance to clear the pending dues and also to complete the projects. Zeliang suggested that the MHA may depute officer to verify the ongoing construction of IR battalion camps and to consider the proposal.
Further, the Chief Minister thanked the Union Home Minister for appointing a new interlocutor for the ongoing peace talks between the government of India and NSCN (IM) and a new Director General of Police (DIG) for Nagaland.
The Union Home Minister has assured to look into the issues raised by the Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by Home Minister Y Patton, Power Minister Kipili Sangtam, Secretary (Finance) Y Kikheto Sema, and Resident Commissioner, New Delhi, Jyoti Kalash.
