Kohima:Nagaland Parliamentary Secretary for Planning & Coordination and Monitoring Cell, Neiba Kronu has said that efforts are currently underway to expedite three mega projects for Nagaland, which includes construction of a new Railway line from Dhansiri (Assam) to Zubza-Thizama, a four lane road (Dimapur to Kohima) and an international standard airport at Razhuphema under Kohima district.
In a statement today Mr. Kronu said committees at the state and district levels have been constituted recently to expedite those projects and stated that the Nagaland Governor has asked the committees for speedy implementation and effective monitoring of these projects.
He viewed that the process at the ground level needs to begin with urgen-cy, adding that development would take a long time if the state always depends on the centre. While assuring that there is a strong political will to expedite these projects, Kronu postulated that once such projects take off, the state will reap the benefits and march ahead. Kronu is also the Chairman of the State Level Committee for the projects.
To start the process, he viewed land clearance as an important factor and sought cooperation and support from all concerned. The State Level Committee will exercise overall supervision on the process for implementation of the projects and to expedite the early completion of the projects,to evaluate and monitor the project, to take up land matters and to settle issues arising out of it in consultation with the state government and other stakeholders.
Kronu further stated that re-structuring of Plan-ning Commission would be positive towards providing more liberty to the State Government and added that the Nagaland Investment Board has been set up to pursue funding agencies to invest in the state and called for more private investment.
He also stressed the need to bring in interna-tional funding agencies to the state. This he ,however, stated requires clairvoyance on the issue of land clearance.
On power generation, Kronu advocated bringing in private parties. Informing that the centre is willing to help the state in terms of transmission and distribu-tion, Kronu informed that Kohima will receive a signi-ficant hydro project.(UNI)