Nagaland's peace, progress & prosperity top priority of NDA govt: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the BJP-led NDA government's top priority is Nagaland's peace, progress and prosperity.

Addressing his first election rally in Nagaland's Agri Expo Center Ground in Dimapur, the Prime Minister said that a large number of cadres of various militant outfits surrendered and joined the mainstream to ensure peace in Nagaland.

"The AFSPA (Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act) has already been withdrawn from many parts of Nagaland. The government has been taking steps so that AFSPA is not required in future in the state," Modi said.

He said that during the past nine years, the violent incidents have been reduced by 75 per cent facilitating the speedy development of the state. Saying that Nagaland's inter-state border problems with the neighbouring states are being resolved, the Prime Minister said that infrastructure development to welfare of all people are the priority of the BJP-led NDA government.

Coming down heavily against the Congress, Modi said that during the Congress regime their family welfare was first priority and that's why the people of the northeast punished them by not giving votes.

"When the Congress had tried to keep the northeastern region backward, the NDA government considering the region as 'Ashta Lakshmi' has been utilising its resources in a befitting manner. The Congress used the northeast as an ATM to misuse money."

Modi said, "The country can't be run by distrusting its own people but by respecting them and resolving their problems. Earlier, the politics was to divide northeast, we have now transformed it into divine governance. The BJP does not deprive people on the basis of religion or region."

During the Congress regime, there was political instability in Nagaland and the party remote-controlled northeast from Delhi, and siphoned off money meant for its development, the Prime Minister said.

Noting that Rs 400 crore directly transferred to the farmers of Nagaland in the last few years, the Prime Minister said that during the Congress regime Rs 2,000 crore was given to Nagaland by the Finance Commission and now it was doubled.

The National Highway network in Nagaland has been doubled now and the state is being linked with Myanmar, the Prime Minister said, adding that road, rail and air connectivity is being developed in Nagaland and the region as well. He said that the BJP has chosen Nagaland's first woman S. Phangnon Konyak as a member of the Rajya Sabha and she is now representing Naga culture, tradition in Parliament.

Modi said that the Central government has provided 55,000 housing units under the PM Awas Yojana and piped water supply has been provided to 3.50 lakh households.

Friday's election rally was the first and last public meeting of the Prime Minister ahead of the February 27 Assembly election in Nagaland. Modi from Dimapur went to poll-bound Meghalaya, where he would address two election rallies. Meghalaya Assembly polls would also be held on February 27.