Paban Singh Ghatowar Chairs 62nd NEC Meeting
Mail News Service
Imphal, July 16 : The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and the Chairman of North Eastern Council (NEC), Shri Paban Singh Ghatowar has chaired the 62nd NEC Plenary Meetoday. The Members of the Council includes the Governors and the Chief Ministers of North Eastern States and their representatives.
On the occasion, Shri Ghatowar informed that his Ministry has launched a scheme named NLCPR (Central). The scheme is meant for major regional projects in the NE region with heavy investments to be implemented by the Central ministries from the accruals of NLCPR. The accruals under NLCPR now stands in excess of Rs. 10,000 crore. He said that his Ministry would be in a position to implement a power transmission project for Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh with an estimated cost of Rs. 3,000 crore and the Turial Hydro electric project by NEEPCO in Mizoram for completion. The Minister requested the Planning Commission to provide adequate funds under NLCPR (Central) to take up such projects in the NE region.
He said that the B.K. Chaturvedi Committee on Restructuring of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) has recommended for making CSS more flexible and has asked the North Eastern Region. Shri Ghatowar requested the North Eastern States to ensure that they send their suggestions to the Planning Commission in respect of the recommendations of B.K. Chaturvedi Committee to make CSS more flexible.
Discussions were held on the various developmental activities taken up in the North East by different Ministries and Government organisations including the Ministries of Railways, Road Transport and Highways, Civil Aviation, Shipping (Waterways), Power, Communication and Information Technology, etc. Discussions were also held on the various livelihood projects initiated and implemented by different organisations like National Skill Development Corporation, Rubber, Spices, Coffee, Tea, National Horticulture Boards and the very relevant and crucial subject on disaster mitigation measures required to be taken in the seismically highly vulnerable NER to save lives and property during natural calamities. The Annual Plan and the Gross Budgetary Support of the North Eastern Council was also discussed.
The meeting was attended by Governors of AP, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura, Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura, Sikkim, Manipur and Meghalaya, Members of the NE Council and other senior officials from the Central and the State Governments.
Highlight of some NEC new initiatives are:
• Annual Plan of NEC for Rs. 770.00 crs was approved for the Financial Year 2013-14.
• The Community Based Sustainable Livelihood Projects i.e, North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project (NERCORMP), NERCORMP-III for Rs.540 crore is recommended by EFC. Tirap and Changlang districts (Arunachal Pradesh) and Chandel and Churachandpur districts (Manipur) will be covered under this phase.
• Transmission, Sub-Transmission and Distribution System in NE Region for Rs.11348.50 crore proposed to be taken up by PGCIL (Ministry of Power).
• Tourism Master Plan for NER prepared by TCS. Ministry of Tourism has accepted for implementation. State Level Project Management Agencies (SLPMAs) for each NE
States are being engaged by M/o Tourism for preparation of DPRs for the 9 identified circuits.
• Ministry of DoNER has launched a scheme named NLCPR (Central) which is meant for major regional projects in the NE region with heavy investments to be implemented by the central ministries from the accruals of NLCPR. The accruals under NLCPR now stands in excess of Rs.10,000 crore. Ministry of DoNER would be in a position to implement a power transmission project for Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh with an estimated cost of Rs.3,000 crore and the Turial Hydro electric project by NEEPCO in Mizoram for completion.
• NEC has invited Expression of Interests (EOI) for air connectivity of Lilabari, Shillong, Dimapur and Tezpur. In the meanwhile, with the intervention of the Member of the Planning Commission and NEC, Shri B.K. Chaturvedi, air service in Kolkata-Shillong sector has resumed by Alliance Air since 10th July, 2013 for 5 days in a week.
The Planning Commission has accorded in-principle approval and sanction for the following projects at the cost of Rs. 141.17 crore to be funded by the NEC. Rs.25.10 crores was already released during 2012-13 and the projects are in different stages of implementation.
i) Further up-gradation of safety and security infrastructure at Umroi Airport,
ii) Extension of Runway to 7500 feet and construction of Isolation bay and Taxi way at Dibrugarh Airport,
iii) Extension of Apron at Jorhat Airport,
iv) Construction of Boundary Wall surrounding the newly acquired land at Imphal Airport and
v) Construction of Hangars and Apron at LGBI Airport at Guwahati.
A study conducted through the AAI on improvement of air connectivity in the region has been completed and the draft report is being submitted shortly by the AAI.
The approval of the Planning Commission has also been received for
(i) Setting up of North Eastern Regional Multi-disciplinary Paramedical Institute, Dimapur, Nagaland for Rs.53.21 crores and
(ii) Setting up of Regional Nursing College, at Hapania (near Agartala), Tripura for 49.81 cr.
• NEC has approved for construction of a 498 seater Girl’s Hostel for Rs.14.65 crore inside the Jnanabharati Campus of the Bangalore University for students from the North East studying in the University. The University has agreed to provide the land free of cost and the hostel will be managed and run by the Bangalore University.
• To enable the unemployed youths specially the fairer gender from the North Eastern Region who possess strong innate caring and compassionate nature to pursue career in nursing, it is proposed that stipend or financial assistance be extended by NEC to the students who are pursuing nursing courses in Auxiliary Nursing Midwifery and General
Nursing Midwifery in institutions recognized by appropriate authority that are located in the North Eastern States.
• The NEC has also engaged third party agencies for evaluation of NEC funded projects. During 2012-13, a total number of 45 projects were entrusted to third party agencies for evaluation.
Some highlights of other important projects in the NER are:
• The railways have invested Rs.10,503 crs in the last 5 years completing 244 kms of new lines,738 kms of Gauge conversions and 20 kms of doubling. For the current financial year, the Ministry intends to invest Rs. 2498.00 crs.
• The council noted with concern the slow pace of progress of Railway projects due to paucity of funding.
• The council also noted the need for speedy implementation of the Road projects in the NER particularly Special Accelerated Road Development Project in the North East
• The Commodity Boards ( Rubber, Coffee, Tea, Spices) and National Horticulture Board appraised the Council about their activities in the North East and their future plans and Schemes to be implemented in the North East.
• The National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) also highlighted their activities in the North East and further programmes that can be taken up for skill development of the unemployed youths.
• The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) also highlighted a very relevant and crucial subject on disaster mitigation measures required to be taken in the seismically highly vulnerable NER to save lives and property during natural calamities.
Proposed institutional mechanism for nec projects
• Setting up a State North Eastern Council Fund Society by each NE State to receive funds from NEC, release funds to the implementing agencies and also carry out the functions of monitoring and reporting the progress of implementation of all NEC projects in these States.
• Engaging Regional Level Monitors (RLM) for effective monitoring of the implementation of various NEC funded projects.
Thrust areas for balanced development in ner
(a) Development of Cash Crops and fruits with focus on increasing the area of cultivation and productivity.
(b) Popularization of Science and Math for school children to promote science and technology related professional studies.
(c) Sponsoring youth for skill development for employment.
(d) Providing stipend to students for nursing courses in addition to existing eligible courses of study.
(e) Promotion of I.T. education in schools for students to have competitive edge for higher studies.
(f) Development/upgradation of District Industrial estates for promotion of value addition of locally available produces.
(g) Increase preparedness for natural disaster management and mitigation of hazards.
(h) Increase usage of remote sensing and GIS applications for planning, implementation and monitoring of projects.
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