No complaints of U-turns here. The Modi government has kept its January promise to send one Central minister to a North-east state every fortnight by rotation in what amounts to a clear message that ministers cannot evade their responsibilities by lounging in airconditioned comfort in New Delhi. Within days of the announcement, Union minister of state for drinking water and sanitation Ram Kirpal Yadav took villagers near Shillong by surprise when he inspected their toilets and kitchens. He told them the Centre would offer Rs 12,000, instead of Rs 3,000, for the construction of a toilet and safe drinking water arrangements.

Other ministers soon started making a beeline. In February, Union minister for home affairs Rajnath and his deputy Kiren Rijiju went to Manipur and on their way back halted in Tripura where they met personnel manning the Indo-Bangladeshi border. Their plan to discuss with Mizoram chief minister Lalthanhawla the problem repatriating about 32,000 Bru refugees living in Tripura camps since 1997 fell through because the latter did not show up.

Then came Union minister of state for commerce and industries Nirmala Sitharaman. According to reports, she oversaw the progress of a timber park as the site for a Special Economic Zone at Kukuopokpi in Thoubal district&’s Kakching and also other projects under the Manipur government that are supported by the Centre, at the border town of Moreh 100 km from Imphal.

Then came the turn of Union minister of state for consumer affairs and food distribution Ram Vilas Paswan. (Earlier, when a Central minister would visit the North-east he/she would make it a point to get back to New Delhi in time for dinner. Now the itinerary has to be for at least two days). Paswan laid the foundation of the Food Corporation of India depot at Moreh.

Union minister for state for textiles SK Gangwar visited Nagaland last month and laid the foundation of an apparel and garment manufacturing centre at the commercial town of Dimapur as part of the Centre&’s Rs 20-crore project. This will ensure jobs for 600 Naga youths. The Prime Minister has promised to set up such a unit in every Northeast state.

Uma Bharti, Union minister for water resources, spent two days in Guwahati and before returning home said the Brahmaputra Board, set up in 1954, would have a new name and be made efficient — something overdue for a long time.

Among the Union ministers who went to Assam in January were Kalraj Mishra (minister of micro, small and medium enterprises) and AG Raju (civil aviation). Visitors in February included Harsh Vardhan (science and technology), Ram Vilas Paswan (he addressed a press conference), and Krishan Pal Gujar (minister of state for social justice and empowerment, spoke at the regional conference of social welfare ministers of the North-eastern region).

And despite the tight schedules, all of them were said to have visited their local party offices. Was this mandatory? Since there are 27 ministers and 26 ministers of state, it looks like the North-east will never have dull days.

***

All&’s well that ends well. Mercifully, peace has reportedly returned to Tuensang, Nagaland&’s largest district, after warring groups of Changs and Yimchungers decided to bury the hatchet. Tensions between them had been simmering since November last year over a land dispute. It surfaced on 6 February when a teenager was killed in his village and, later, miscreants ruthlessly killed an injured policeman in Tuensang town. Since an inter-tribal conflict does not augur well for Nagaland, which has 16 tribes, such occurrences must be nipped in the bud. Bravo to whichever organisation mediated in helping restore the peace.

jbl@thestatesman.net