The Union home minister Amit Shah will meet the chief ministers, chief secretaries and DGs of police of all the eight north-eastern states in Shillong on Saturday to discuss various issues, including law and order, and the Covid-19 situation, officials said.

During this two-day tour to Meghalaya and Assam, the Union home minister will also inaugurate several projects in these two states, informed officials in Shillong and Guwahati. Shah is scheduled to hold a meeting with the chief ministers where law and order will be a focal point along with the handling of the Covid situation in these states.

It is learnt that Shah would convene the meeting at the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) headquarters at Umiam and hence will also discuss the functioning and future plans of the space science and technology centre of the region.

Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) minister G. Kishan Reddy, Union science and technology and space minister, Jitendra Singh, and ISRO chairman K. Sivan will also expectedly attend the NESAC review meeting.

The NESAC, which is a joint venture of the Department of Space and the NEC, utilising advanced space technology, helps and guides the northeastern states in undertaking various developmental projects and schemes including estimating natural resources.

During his two-day visit in Meghalaya, Shah would inaugurate a cryogenic oxygen plant at Umsawli, the inter-state bus terminus at Mawiong, the afforestation project at Wahshari in Sohra, the Greater Sohra Water Supply Scheme at Khliehshnong and visit the headquarters of the Assam Rifles in Shillong before leaving for Guwahati on Sunday.

In Agartala, Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb told the media that he would discuss several issues separately with Shah which include some mega tribal development projects.

Deb, during his week-long tour to New Delhi, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 16 and urged him to grant a package for holistic development of tribal areas in Tripura comprising 17 projects of Rs 1,060 crore for undertaking various measures for social, economic, cultural and linguistic development of the tribal population of Tripura. The CM also proposed to provide one externally aided project for Rs 1,250 crore for the overall development of tribals in the state.

…With IANS inputs