EMN
DIMAPUR, SEPTEMBER 4
CHIEF Minister, Shri T.R. Zeliang, accompanied by the State Home Minister, Shri Y. Patton, met the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister and the Petroleum Minister in New Delhi on Thursday. While Modi was strongly urged to resolve the various issues pending since the NDA-II took over power at the Centre, the Union Home Minister was apprised of the long pending reimbursement claims of security-related expenditure and payment of helicopter service expenditure used for public transport.
A press release from the CMO states that the Chief Minister Zeliang made an impassioned plea to the Prime Minister to provide the State with a one time grant of Rs.1234 crores to wipe out the deficit to enable the state to chalk progress on a clean slate. He also requested the Prime Minister for enhancement of Central Plan assistance during 2014-15 and for restoration of Special Plan Assistance of Rs. 300 crores for Eastern Nagaland which was originally included in the Annual Plan for 2012-13. The Prime Minister was also urged to declare the construction of Foot Hills Road and the new airport at Raziipheme as National Projects.
The meeting with the Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh saw Zeliang brief Mr. Singh on the steps taken by the Government of Nagaland to ensure peace on the Nagaland side of the Assam-Nagaland border which the release states was ‘deeply appreciated ‘ by the minister. The Union Minister also exchanged notes on the situation in Ukhrul with the Chief Minister. The release says Singh requested the Chief Minister to lend his support to the success of the settlement of the long pending political issue to which the Chief Minister said he was always ready to ‘facilitate meaningful assistance of the talks so that an honourable and acceptable settlement becomes possible at the earliest ‘.
The Union Home Minister was also apprised that the state is willing to spare two Battalions for posting in other States like Gujarat but not Chhatisgarh. The press release states t.
In his meeting with the Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union Petroleum Minister, Chief Minister Zeliang spoke on the hurdles over the State Legal Framework on Petroleum and Natural Gas. The release states Zeliang unequivocally informed the Union Petroleum Minister that the State is on the correct Constitutional track and the Centre alone needs to relent.
The Union Minister and the Union P&NG officials have favoured official level talks first to resolve the issue. T. R. Zeliang responded saying that the Union Government needed to show political will to accommodate the State Legal Framework. It was agreed to resume talks at a later date, the release adds.
Earlier, the Prime Minister who promised to look into the demands to improve the financial health of the State, also showed concern for the health of the Chief Minister. He offered Zeliang a few tips in Pranayama (breathing yoga) to soothe a sore throat , to keep him in the pink of health.
