IANS
GUWAHATI, OCTOBER 17
Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju Friday said the central government may relax the norms for visiting the northeastern states.
The Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal Pradesh said this includes revoking of the Restricted Area Permit (RAP), required in some northeastern states.
He was delivering the keynote address at the Northeast Region Infrastructure Conclave 2014, organised by the PHD Chamber.
He said: “I have already discussed the matter with the ministry of home affairs. I have also taken it up with the foreign affairs department of the ministry to relax the norms of RAP for visiting the northeastern states, where it is required,” he said.
The minister, however, said that the relaxation may not be for the whole of the region but for some pockets only.
Domestic and foreign tourists and others visiting Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram must obtain RAP before entering the three states.
He said: “We are also going to relax other norms and restrictions for permission to travel from one place to another in the region.”
The minister reiterated the central government’s plans to construct a highway along the Indo-China border in Arunachal Pradesh and said India has all the right to construct road in its own territory.
He said: “We are going to construct a highway within our territory and that is not going to adversely affect the neighbouring country in any way. We are committed to develop our border areas and we are going to do that.”
Stressing the need to develop the infrastructure in the region, Rijiju said that there is huge potential to develop the northeast.
He admitted that subsequent governments in states of the region and in Delhi have, however, faltered in efforts to develop the region.
He said: “The northeast has the highest numbers of insurgents, student groups and autonomous state demands in the world. Demanding is not their problem, it’s their right. We have to admit that we have faltered.”
He also blamed frequent bandhs and blockades behind lack of development of the region.
“I am planning to establish a cell to monitor the timely implementation of all the projects in the region,” he said, adding the northeastern states must have a positive attitude for development.
