Agartala, Dec 21, 2024, IANS

Agartala, Dec 21 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday urged the Chief Ministers of eight northeastern states to give more impetus to curbing the smuggling and other menaces of drugs in the region. Addressing the 72nd plenary session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) here, the Home Minister said that the accusations against the northeastern states about drugs-related activities should be removed. "Much endeavours were made to curb the drug menaces, but much more efforts must be undertaken by the Chief Ministers and all people concerned," he said. He said that the Centre has undertaken nationwide all-out efforts to achieve a “Nasha Mukt Bharat” (drugs-free India) and the northeastern states must be a part of the mission by making the region drug-free. The Home Minister also urged the Chief Ministers to give priority to the effective implementation of the three new criminal laws -- the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA). He said in February next year, he would hold a meeting with the Chief Ministers to discuss the progress and implementation of the three new laws. Amit Shah said that after the Narendra Modi government came to power at the Centre, 20 accords were signed for the peace and harmony of the northeastern states and 10,574 cadres of various militant outfits were surrendered in different states of the region. "A multi-dimensional approach involving the state polices, Army, Assam Rifles and other Central Armed Police Forces has been undertaken to maintain peace and to curb all unlawful activities in the northeastern region,” the Home Minister said. The long pending inter-state border disputes in the northeastern states are being resolved amicably, he said. DoNER (Development of North Eastern Region) Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and his deputy Sukanta Majumdar also addressed the plenary session. Chief Ministers of northeastern states Himanta Biswa Sarma (Assam), Pema Khandu (Arunachal Pradesh), N. Biren Singh (Manipur), Lalduhoma (Mizoram), Neiphiu Rio (Nagaland), Prem Singh Tamang (Sikkim), and Manik Saha (Tripura) and Governors of these states were present in the NEC meeting.