Centre trying to find workable solution for Naga issue: Shinde

The Centre is working with various stakeholders to find out a "workable solution" to the vexed Naga political problem, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said today.

Nagaland has its problems because of which the Centre has entered into an agreement of peace (with NSCN-IM) and suspension of operations has been ordered, he said.

With the Centre trying to reach out for a settlement, Shinde said, he has met the Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur to bring about a solution to the issue.

Shinde said the Centre and the NSCN-IM (National Socialist Council of Nagaland Isak-Muivah) along with Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and his colleagues were trying to find out a "workable solution" so that peace could be brought back in the state.

"We'll bring peace in this part of the region," he said, adding that there should not be any insurgency in the state and people should be able to live peacefully.

Civil organisations have asked the visiting central leaders to make clear statements on the Naga political issue.

Addressing a series of election rallies for the Congress candidates in Kohima, Peren and Mokokchung districts, Shinde said development can be brought back after the return of peace and end of insurgency in the state.

"If there is no peace in the state that becomes a major problem for development...if there is insurgency you cannot develop and cannot have peace in the state," he said.

Recalling his tenure as the Union Power Minister, he said, "I have been coming to the North East as the power minister to Manipur, Meghalaya and Arunachal, but Nagaland was missing as nobody tried to take any of the power projects during that period."

Noting that the projects under the Rajiv Gandhi Vidyutikaran Yojana should have been over by 2012 in all the villages of the country, Shinde said money was sent to Nagaland but nothing was done in the state.

If the situation exists like this then Nagaland is not going to prosper, he said, adding that development can be achieved by harnessing power, education and industries.