Ukhrul: Addressing the 72nd Plenary session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) Governing Council in Agartala on Saturday, Chief Minister of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio, said that the NEC was set up some 50 years ago but the region still has a huge development deficit when compared to the developed states in the mainland, an official statement said today.
The NEC has been functioning as a statutory Regional Planning body since 1971.
The Chief Minister then said that the North Eastern Council, which has been set up with a special purpose due to special needs, deserves more resources at its disposal. However, over the years, the functional autonomy of the NEC intended by the Parliament has been significantly diluted and the role of the NEC is becoming insignificant, Rio added.
The Nagaland Chief Minister further said that during the previous plenaries, he had raised concerns at the diminishing role of the NEC, and the need for enhancing fund allocation for the NEC. Therefore, he requested the chairman, the NEC, to consider providing more budget allocation for the NEC and also increase the delegation of powers to sanction projects so that the regional aspirations of the States are fulfilled by the council.
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Rio then expressed gratitude to the Government of India for initiatives undertaken for the North Eastern States under the schemes of PM DevINE and NESIDS (ROADS). While appreciating these efforts, the Nagaland Chief Minister called for the attention of the NEC meeting by saying that the financial outlay for the State of Nagaland under PM DeVINE from the period 2022-23 to 2025-26 is only Rs. 561 crore, and under NESIDS ROADS, the allocation is Rs 276.69 crore for the same period. These allocations, while helpful, are insufficient for undertaking major infrastructural development projects, Rio also said.
The Nagaland Chief Minister also highlighted the issue of delays in the approval and clearance of projects by NITI Aayog and Line Ministries, as these delays impede the timely implementation of schemes and projects, causing frustration among stakeholders and slowing the progress of developmental initiatives. He urged the concerned minister to consider a time schedule, asking the States for the priority list by December/January and submission of the State Priority List to the Ministry of DoNER/NEC by April/May, so that the approval may be accorded by the Ministry in June/July. “This will enable the implementing departments to initiate the tendering process by August/September and the work order can be issued in October. The works can be started by November and could be completed before the onset of monsoon,” Rio added.
(Newmai News Network)
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