SHILLONG, June 26 : Faced with the task of downsizing their jumbo ministries, chief ministers of the north eastern states are planning to approach the Centre for raising the size of the Cabinet, reports PTI. Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang, also the chairman of the North-Eastern Congress Coordination Committee, said on Friday that his counterparts from Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam were ‘sharing’ views for taking up the matter with the Centre.
“Nagaland Chief Minister contacted me today and it has been the same with Arunachal Pradesh. We also discussed the matter with Tarun Gogoi (Assam Chief Minister),” Lapang told reporters here adding they were likely to approach Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Lapang, who would be leaving for New Delhi on Monday, said they ‘shared’ views about raising the size of the ministry particularly in the smaller north eastern states from the limit of 12. “We would voice the demand jointly to the Union Government,” he said.
The 91st amendment to the Constitution passed by Parliament last December decided that the size of the ministry should not exceed 15 per cent of the Assembly strength in all the big states, while in smaller states, the size is stipulated to the maximum number of 12. The chairman of NECCC stated that he would take up with the UPA government issues like modernisation of police force, border management and opening of border haats (village markets), concerning different states of the region.