Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Dec 3: Chief Minister of Mizoram, Zoramthanga called on Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Dr Jitendra Singh and discussed development projects and IAS cadre issues related to the State.
In a meeting lasting over half an hour, Zoramthanga took up with Dr Jitendra Singh, the issue of 10% financial assistance through non-exempt Ministries and urged for some mechanism for dispensing the unspent balance.
Dr Jitendra Singh informed Zoramthanga that he had already taken up the issue with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who has assured that she will look into this and find a way out. He informed the Chief Minister that he has also put before the Finance Minister some feasible options to address this issue.
Chief Minister also took up with the DoNER Minister, the request to have a separate IAS /Civil Services cadre for the State of Mizoram, which is presently a part of the AGMUT cadre. In response, Dr Jitendra Singh said, he has asked DoPT to undertake an exercise to study the implications and feasibility of this request and added that meanwhile, two more Union Territories namely Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are also likely to become a part of the AGMUT cadre.
Dr Jitendra Singh also expressed satisfaction over the recently established “Citrus Fruit Park” in Lingoi, which is perhaps the first of its kind in the Indian subcontinent and has been set up with Israeli collaboration. He also referred to the visit to the State by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during which he launched important Power Projects and also handed over the first lot of documents of the “Venture Fund” started by the DoNER Ministry for Start-Ups.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, the highest priority given by the Modi government to peripheral and small States of Northeast like Mizoram is evident from the fact that soon after the second term of the Modi government began, one of the first tours undertaken by Home Minister Amit Shah was to Aizawal, where he launched the North East Handicraft Fair representing all the eight States of the region.
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