From Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi: Heads of planning boards of the North Eastern states including Sikkim have demanded for relaxation of norms for the region for implementation of Central government schemes because of scattered population in a hilly terrain.
Participating in the first ever meeting of the planning boards, John F Kharshiing, Co-Chairman, Meghalaya State Planning Board, said that norms should be relaxed for the Northeastern states because of their special dispensation. His opinion was supported by other heads of planning boards of the region.
The conference of State Planning Boards & Planning Departments with the context of a preview of the 12th Five-Year Plan was called by the Union Planning Commission on Friday. Discussions centered on scenarios shaping India’s future and presentations on innovations in planning by the states.
Meghalaya Planning Board presented the latest innovation and flagship initiative of the State through the Integrated Basin Development & Livelihood Promotion Programme (IBDLPP).
Speaking on the occasion Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, urged the state executives and leaders to evolve effective delivery strategies on subsidies, localised government and small projects.
Kharshiing highlighted the need for the Union Planning Commission to initiated steps with Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and China to explore, exchange, improve and share scenarios of the future which would connect and benefit the landlocked Northeastern states along the International border. He furthered called on the Planning Commission to facilitate amendments of archaic legislation which were bottlenecks to development.
PMGSY norms for the North East should be changed, Kharshiing said, while providing statistics that Meghalaya till date had 2564 villages yet to be connected with roads out of which, 1776 villages do not meet the PMGSY norms as they are below the mandatory 250-mark population.
Another issue highlighted by Kharshiing was the time consuming process by the Union Ministry of Defense on the request from the State Government for minor land acquisitions for widening of roads to overcome congestions and rapid urbanisation in Shillong city.
Kharshiing also requested Dr Ahluwalia to facilitate specific effective allocation linkages with the traditional institutions in Meghalaya as till date they have not been included in the Plan allocation.