Guwahati, April 8: The seven-member advisory group to the ministry of home affairs, set up to look into the security loopholes in the seven northeastern states, today rued that despite several attempts, it has not been able to meet any of the chief ministers except Tarun Gogoi.
The group, which include among others, supercop K.P.S. Gill, former Arunachal Pradesh chief secretary S.K. Agnihotri and Lt. Gen. (retired) S.K. Pillai, was also supposed to recommend measures to plug those loopholes.
“We have been trying for the past six months to meet all the chief ministers. But we managed to meet Gogoi only yesterday,” said K. Saigal, a member of the group at a news conference today.
“Instead of meeting them in New Delhi, we wanted to meet them on their own turn to get a real picture of the problem also suggest corrective measures to the Centre,” another member said. They also scotched rumours that the group is visiting the region for the first time and insisted that the members have toured the state in their individual capacities.
The group was set up on November 12, 2001 and started functioning in January 2002.
Gogoi today said the Assam government would welcome only those recommendations of the group which would benefit the state. “As for tackling law and order, Assam police will have its own strategy,” the chief minister said. He told the group to make avenues for creating more jobs in the region.