NEW DELHI, Feb 7 � Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today urged the Centre to adopt 1971 rolls as the base year for preparation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Making an intervention at the Conference of Chief Ministers on Internal Security, Gogoi drew the attention of the Centre to the update of the NRC and the need to modify the Central Government notification.
The amended notification issued by the Home Ministry proposing 1966 electoral rolls as the cut-off period for updating the NRC has left Assam Government in a tight spot. With the minority community enraged by the latest notification, the State Government had written to the Home Ministry to amend the notification but so far the Centre has not responded.
The Chief Minister further urged the Centre to sanction a development council under Sixth Schedule.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister stressed the need for overall development of surface and water communication. Creation of employment opportunities was considered vital in bringing down insurgency in the State, he said.
About the insurgency problem, he said the situation had improved because of concrete measures taken by the State Government.
Gogoi said problem of the State was lack of infrastructure. He said that riverine policing and connectivity in the State would have to be strengthened for easy access and means of cheap transport.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister, P Chidambaram praised the actions initiated by Bangladesh Government against the insurgent outfits of the North-east. Thanks to the cooperation extended by the Government of Bangladesh, many leaders of insurgent groups were forced to return to India and had either surrendered or had been apprehended by the security forces, he said.
Later, addressing a press conference the Home Minister said that KLO was not the only outfit to have a safe heaven in the neighbouring country. The present Government of Sheikh Hasina had provided splendid cooperation in tackling the insurgent groups, he said.
About the militancy scenario in the North-east, Chidambaram said determined effort to curb insurgency and violence had a salutary effect and many insurgent groups had laid down arms and come forward to hold talks with the State Government concerned and the Central Government.
In 2009, the North Eastern States witnessed 1297 incidents: 264 civilians and 42 members of the security forces were killed and 571 militants were neutralised, he said.
Inaugurating the Conference, the Prime Minister said that in the North-East, the number of incidents had gone down in 2009 as compared to 2008.
The Prime Minister also flagged the issue of fake Indian currency (FICN). There were indications that fake Indian currency notes were being printed and smuggled into India from outside the country. There was obviously a need for a coordinated approach by the Central and State agencies to tackle this menace; which had serious implications an India�s economy.
In some instances of recovery of fake currency, especially by banks, there has been a reluctance to register the First Information Report. This has to be avoided and all such cases must be thoroughly investigated. The States could also designate a nodal agency to investigate cases of seizure or recovery of fake currency Notes and set up a state level committee for continuous vigilance in the matter, as has been suggested by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
