Kohima: Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang has stressed on the importance of developing roads, railways, airports and inland waterways in the Northeast region, so the region could grow and develop with the rest of the country.
Addressing the first meeting of the North East Council (NEC) committee on connectivity including road and highways, airports and air connectivity, railways and Inland waterways at the Rhododendron hall, Chumukedima near Dimapur on Friday, Zeliang, who is also the chairman of the committee, wanted NEC to promote research and innovation and provide strategic policy vision for the region, which would help the member states in the planning and execution of projects.
Zeliang further said that NEC should be expanded from being a “regional planning body to that of a regional planning and development body.”
“To ensure success of Prime Minister’s vision to transform the NEC, there is an urgent need to augment its budgetary outlay and provide the required manpower with specialised knowledge and skills so as to enable it to make meaningful contributions to the development of North East Region”, he added.
The chief minister also said that the Act East Policy of the union government has placed the Northeastern region in the development map of the country.
Under the flagship schemes of the central government like national road development programme, SARDP-NE, PMGSY, national programme for railways and air connectivity have provided new hope to the people of the region, he added.
Nagaland Rajya Sabha MP K G Kenye appreciated the seriousness of the centre and the institution of NEC along with its subsidiary DoNER for trying to implement the required development for the region.
He further said that Northeast needed special attention since the area being landlocked.
Several committee members aired their viewpoints and contributed their ideas and suggestions at the meeting.
The meeting was also attended by MPs- Ninong Ering and Gaurav Gogoi, Nagaland parliamentary secretary for planning Neiba Kronu, union secretary of DoNER Naveen Verma, secretary of NEC Ram Muivah, former Nagaland chief secretary Alemtemshi Jamir, former vice chancellor of Ranchi university professor Darlando Khathing, dean of JNU of New Delhi professor Manoj Pant, professor Amar Yumnam from Manipur university, finance analyst Swapan Sarkar, officials from the NEC, officials from Airports Authority of India and central government and the state planning department. (UNI)
