NEC funding upgradation of 12 airports in Northeast

New Delhi: The NEC, a nodal agency for the economic and social development of the Northeast, has funded upgradation of infrastructure in 12 operational airports in the region, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Monday.

 Singh said the North Eastern Council has put maximum emphasis on the transport and communication sector with the construction of 10,500 kms of roads including inter-state and roads of economic importance.

“To promote air connectivity in the region, the NEC has supported Airports Authority of India (AAI) for upgradation of infrastructure in 12 operational airports,” he said after chairing the 66th plenary of the NEC held here on Monday.

Singh said the construction of Tezu airport in Arunachal Pradesh is supported by the NEC and is likely to be operational within the current financial year. The NEC is also taking up the runway extension at the Umroi (Shillong) airport to enable bigger aircrafts to land and three hangars at LGBI airport in Guwahati have been completed under funding by the NEC.

Singh said a new project named North East Road Sector Development Scheme (NERSDS) has been launched to take up all strategically important but hitherto neglected roads and bridges. The minister said during 2016-17, the NEC was allotted Rs 800 crore at budget estimate stage and at the revised estimate stage it was enhanced to Rs 968.79 crore plus Rs 150 crore for NERSDS making a total of Rs 1,118.79 crore.

Depending on the legitimate demand of the Northeastern states based on the regional plans approved by the Council, the NEC would strive to allocate more liberal grant of resources in the coming years, he said.

 The governors and chief ministers of eight Northeastern states – Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and Sikkim are members of the NEC. Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh, also participated in the meeting.

During the day, the members discussed the NEC budget for the current fiscal, conversion of NEC schemes to central sector schemes, issues concerning tourism in the Northeast, promotion of textiles with special emphasis on handlooms, handicrafts and apparel.

Agricultural marketing, organic farming, horticulture and bamboo mission, food processing activities and documentation, preservation and promotion of medicinal plants in the NER were also discussed. (PTI)