Itanagar, June 23: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Mukut Mithi has held NSCN, Ulfa and Bodo militants responsible for affecting development in the state and criticised the Centre for not paying due attention in tackling insurgency despite repeated pleas to deploy adequate forces to contain them. The prevailing fear psychosis among the people, including village chiefs, government officials and business community particularly in Tirap and Changlang districts have been the greatest obstacles for development, he told a public meeting at Khonsa, headquarter of insurgent-infested Tirap district yesterday. He called upon the people of the state, especially from Tirap and Changlang districts to resist the underground outfits "before it is too late," official reports quoting Mithi said here today. The government, he said, has been trying to curb insurgency as NSCN attempted to recruit local youths to "spread its tentacles" in the western part of the state.
The state, financially poor since its statehood in 1987, has been depending entirely on the Centre. However, funds allocated to Tirap could not be utilised properly due to interference by the insurgents despite the fact that development was the priority for the government, he added. Bureau Report