New Delhi, 29 January 2010: Lok Sabha Speaker Smt. Meira Kumar inaugurated the 12th North-East Region Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (NERCPA) Conference in Shillong today.
Speaking on the occasion, Smt. Kumar said that despite the existence of rich natural resources and enormous potential for growth, the Northeast is grappling with multifarious problems of underdevelopment, unemployment, backwardness and insurgency. Throughout its post-Independence history, most States in the region have been badly affected by the problem of insurgency in one way or the other – the adverse impact on the overall development of the region varying only in degrees between States in the area, she added.
Emphasising the need for durable peace and prosperity in the region, Smt. Kumar said that the people’s representatives at all levels have to ensure that conditions conducive for accountable, transparent, responsible and responsive governance, eliminating any scope for corruption and mismanagement are created across the region. There is a need to empower and energize the various institutions of local self-government like the village panchayats, village councils and the village development boards so as to promote peace and achieve equitable and inclusive growth, she added.
Smt. Kumar also felt that violence and democracy cannot co-exist and that all necessary initiatives should be taken to bring back those influenced by the cult of violence, into the mainstream of our society.
Referring to transfer of large amount of resources by way of special economic and developmental packages for the region by the Central Government, Smt. Kumar urged the States in the region to keep an unremitting vigil over various programmes and to ensure that the available funds are spent prudently and in the best interest of the people.
This is the first visit to the North-East by Smt. Meira Kumar after assuming office of the Lok Sabha Speaker.
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