NEW DELHI, Dec 9 ? Euphoria of having a MP from North-east as Minister in-charge for the region is over, as MPs from the north-eastern States are seething with anger over alleged non-performance of Minister, Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), PR Kyndiah. Laid back attitude of the only Cabinet Minister from the North-east has left his colleagues fuming, even as they prepare to approach Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, to change the Minister DoNER.
The reason for the MPs? ire were the pile of schemes and projects they had submitted to the Minister, which were either rejected or kept pending indefinitely. At the meeting of the North East MPs? Forum on Tuesday, several of the members gave vent to their anger seeking a response from the Minister as to why the schemes were rejected, sources said. The MPs also wanted clarifications on release of funds from the Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources.
Take for instance the case of appointment of new chairman-cum-managing director of NEDFi. Months after retirement of JP Saikia, the board of directors of the institution has not been able to appoint a new CMD allegedly because of manipulation by babus at DoNER. The result, one of the finest organisations in North-east has been operating without a head for months now. Assam Congress MP, Dwijendranath Sarma said, ?Our man is not working. We submitted schemes worth Rs 250 crore only to be rejected.? He claimed that several recommended schemes for health and family welfare were being kept pending.
Similarly, MPs from Arunachal Pradesh complained that scheme for up gradation of Arunachal University was rejected without any justification, he said. Interestingly, even as MPs were contemplating their next move came in news of the DoNER Minister being nominated as the chairman of the North Eastern Council (NEC). The move the MPs claimed may prove to be counter productive as the NEC might become too top heavy with no positive results. Under attack of the MPs the Ministry DoNER convened a consultative committee meeting with the MPs of the Region here tomorrow.