Assam-Nagaland governor welcomes northeast cell in Delhi

Assam and Nagaland Governor P.B. Acharya on Monday welcomed the announcement by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal that his government will set up a northeast cell in the national capital.

"Some days back, I saw a media report about Kejriwal's announcement about setting up a northeast cell in Delhi to look into the concerns of the northeast people here," Acharya said addressing a cross-section of the Assamese society in Delhi.

"I immediately wrote a letter to him offering any help he would require in setting up the cell. He too responded positively to my offer," he said.

Acharya, who is in Delhi to attend a meeting of governors of all eight northeastern states called by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to discuss the Centre's Act East policy, also had a meeting with Kejriwal.

"We had a meeting for about 40 minutes and I put up five issues related to the northeast," the governor said.

He said the Assam Bhavan in Delhi should be the nodal centre to look into all problems faced by the people of the state in the capital.

"It is already doing that but we can do more," he said.

He said the northeastern states have all the resources to shine on their own without aid from anyone.

"We have got coal, tea and even oil," he said, adding that the mighty Brahmaputra river was a blessing for the region.

Earlier, addressing Naga civil society members here, he said there were about 10,000 people from Nagaland in the capital and about 50 percent of them were students.

"I observed that Nagas who have come out are happier than those who are staying in Nagaland," he said, pointing to the insurgency problem afflicting the state.

"The present government (at the centre) has the political will to solve the Nagaland conflict," he asserted.

The central government on August 3 signed a framework agreement with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) for a final Naga peace accord.