Jagdish Mukhi. Photo credit New Indian Express
File image of Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi. Photo credit New Indian Express

Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi on Tuesday said he is optimistic about a permanent solution to the illegal foreigners’ issue in the State with the completion of the NRC update process.

“Wait till June 30…I am hopeful of a positive solution…so I believe everything positive will happen,” said Mukhi in New Delhi.

The Supreme Court directed the NRC authority to publish the final draft NRC by June 30, 2018.

The Governor was interacting with the media on the concluding day of the two-day-long Governors’ conference in the national capital.

Mukhi said that there may be two different kind of opinions over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in the Brahmaputra Valley and the Barak Valley.

“Even the Union Home Minister has assured that all decisions would be taken after proper consultations with the people of Assam,” said Mukhi while speaking on the fate of the controversial Citizenship Bill.

Mukhi said that there is a change of development in the State. “In fact, I used to make night stay in different districts across Assam. Even I have also instructed the DCs to do proper monitoring of the developmental activities in the State,” said the Governor.

The Governor is learnt to have submitted a detailed report in the Governors’ conference over the present situation of Assam.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed the concluding session of the conference of Governors at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The Prime Minister appreciated the various discussions and inputs shared during the conference.

The PM called upon Governors to strengthen the ‘Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat’ initiative, which promotes partnerships, cultural exchanges and people to people linkages among States. He emphasized the need to build new ways to promote harmony and integration among various States of India.

The PM urged the Governors, in their capacity as Chancellors, to call upon university authorities to promote excellence in various spheres of education sector. He said that Indian universities must aspire to be among the world’s best, and Governors can play a crucial role in catalysing their transformation. In this context, he mentioned about the Union Government’s initiatives to promote autonomy in IIMs, and among top 10 public and top 10 private universities.

The PM said that the Union Government was working towards promoting “ease of living” for the common man. He said that Governors, through their vast experience in public life, can motivate civic agencies and government departments to work with commitment towards this cause.

The PM also spoke about the Union Government’s ambitious health assurance scheme – Ayushman Bharat.

Modi said that occasions such as the 75th anniversary of freedom in 2022, and the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019, can serve as inspirational milestones for achieving development goals and targets. He said the upcoming Kumbh Mela could also serve as an important occasion for promoting nationally relevant causes.

Rajiv Roy is Northeast Now Correspondent in New Delhi. He can be reached at: [email protected]