GUWAHATI: The peaceful Mizoram on Sunday sought a “peace bonus” from the central government.
After attending a meeting of the chief ministers of Northeast that Union Home Minister Amit Shah convened in Guwahati to review the progress in the implementation of the three new criminal laws in the region, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma told the media his state had been denied security-related expenditure for being peaceful.
“The rest of the states are given security-related expenditure, whereas Mizoram is denied that because we are the most peaceful state in the country. So, being the most peaceful state means you become a loser. So, peace doesn’t pay. Peace doesn’t have dividends,” he said.
He also said that if the Centre cannot extend the facility of security-related expenditure to Mizoram, it should at least give a peace bonus to the state. He said it would set a precedent that peace pays.
He cited that Mizoram had been burdened with around 41,000 displaced people from Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Manipur.
“We have to feed them, shelter them and educate their children. It is quite a burden on the state’s shoulder, so, we need continuous support from the Centre,” Lalduhoma said citing the state’s modest resources.
Pointing to Mizoram’s long boundary with Myanmar and Bangladesh, he said the state needed more immigration check-posts. He said the high rate of vacancy in the police department was resulting in poor performance.
On the implementation of the new criminal laws, he said the main problem facing Mizoram was that of internet connection. He urged the ministry of communication and IT to come up with a scheme to solve the problem.
Meanwhile, taking to X, Shah wrote, “Reviewed the progress in the implementation of the three new criminal laws in the Northeast along with the Chief Ministers, the Governor of Manipur and senior officials in Guwahati, Assam."
"Directed to monitor the progress and instructed the police forces to focus more on securing the rights of the citizens,” Shah wrote.
