Shillong: Nationalist Trinamool Congress (NTC) MP Purno A Sangma has urged the Centre to continue peace process in the North East in general and particularly in Meghalaya but not offered his service for facilitating such exercise.

Sangma, an MP from Meghalaya's Tura Lok Sabha seat, yesterday (May 26, 2004) called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Delhi, first after the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government assumed power, and urged him that peace process should continue in the North East.

A former Lok Sabha Speaker, Sangma last year had said he was facilitating peace talks with some insurgent outfits of the North East including underground Achik National Volunteers Council (ANVC) of Meghalaya's Garo Hills region.

Asked whether he offered to facilitate the process as he had done last year, Sangma said, ''No, not at all.''

Sangma's meeting with the Prime Minister and discussion on peace process came within a day of Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang nullifying the former's bid saying the permission the NTC leader obtained from the previous Vajpayee Government has now become "obsolete" with the change of Government. ''If he is serious, he should approach the Centre afresh,'' Lapang said.

Sangma, however, refused to comment on Lapang's remarks.

Besides peace process, Sangma said he also discussed about development of the North Eastern region with the Prime Minister.