Kohima: Chief Minister T. R. Zeliang has expressed disagreement with the system of selection of schemes by the North Eastern Council and rooted for either adopting the federal system or doing away with the NEC itself.
According to official sources on Saturday, Mr. Zeliang was making a strong plea over the issue at the 63rd NEC Plenary Meeting at Shillong yesterday and maintained that the Council cannot and should not select schemes for a state, but that the onus for selection be with respective member-states.
He further said schemes be need-based and not thrust upon states through a ‘remote-controlled sys-tem’.Citing instances, Mr. Zeliang pointed out that the state sent its priority list as per requirements to be accordingly selected, this indicated that the NEC had begun selection from then on. However, he pointed out that at times the NEC which, had the liberty to accord sanction, did so as per its desires, which he termed as ‘monopoly’.
He said Nagaland had submitted projects under the 12th Five-Year Plan but which were eventually sele-cted by NEC based on the latter’s decision and choice without consultation.
Mr. Zeliang also said since fund allocation to states was decided by the body he felt that it should consider the priorities of member-states.
Governor P. B. Acharya suggested that NEC meetings should not be held only in Shillong or Delhi, but in other member-states on rotation. This suggestion was agreed to by all ministers present at the meeting. The meeting was attended by Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Nirbhay Sharma and Chief Minister Nabam Tuki, Meghalaya Governor K. K. Paul and CM Mukul Sang-ma, Sikkim Governor Shriniwas Patil and CM Pawan Chamling besides Mizoram CM Lal Thanhawla and Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh.
In the meeting, Union Minister Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh assured the chief ministers that the Central government would increase budget allocation for overall development of the region, a member of the North East Council (NEC) said. (UNI)