Annual Plan 2013-14 of Nagaland reviewed

KOHIMA, February 6: The Planning Commission of India represented by advisor Planning Commission, Brahmo Chaudhari, and member, Saumitra Chaudhari, reviewed the Annual Plan 2013-14 of Nagaland in a meeting held on February 5 at Hotel Vivor, which attended by all the AHoDs and HoDs and various officials.

Nagaland Chief Secretary, Banuo Z Jamir welcomed the guests and briefed the gathering on the significance of the meeting. Commissioner & Secretary, Planning and Urban Development, EM Patton, who chaired the meeting opened the discussion session on various agenda and major projects presented by concerned departments.

The major project proposals and discussions included construction of highways and roads connecting the International Trade Centre of Pangsha, Longwa and Avangkhu, Trans Eastern Nagaland Road from Mon to Avangkhu (280 km), extension of EW-NS National Highway corridor from Nagaon to Numaligarh-Dimapur-Imphal-Moreh (NH 37 and NH-29) which currently touches lower Assam only and the Indo-Myanmar border trade route with a vision to realise the ‘Look East Policy’ of India as well as aid the development process in Eastern Nagaland.

The Eastern Nagaland Package which was included in the Annual Plan 2012-13 with a package of Rs 300 crore was discussed favourably with the State officials appealing to the centre to release the fund as Special Plan Assistance (SPA) for Eastern Nagaland to fulfil the commitment of addressing the development deficit in Eastern Nagaland.

The meeting also saw the commitment to commence the construction of railway line along foot hill from Tizit-Dimapur-Jalukie and to revive the functionality of the existing railway line from Amguri-Tuli which would assist the revival process of NPPC Ltd (Paper Mill) Tuli. The revival process of the paper mill, Tuli is currently underway with the initial fund release of Rs 100 crore and State government actively recruiting the technical staff. The State government appealed to the Centre to hasten the revival process of Nagaland’s lone paper mill at Tuli.

It was also brought to the notice of the Centre to look into the establishment of a medical college in the State so urgently required. The proposal to convert the existing School of Agriculture Science & Rural Development (SASRD), Medziphema into a full-fledged university was favourably discussed in the meeting. The department of Animal Husbandry also presented its project ‘Nagaland Composite Pig Project’ with an abstract estimate cost of Rs 157.31 crore with the aim to enhance wholesome meat production under organized sector with the direct participation of farmers.

The underlying objective of the meeting was to highlight the plight of the State in managing with annual allocation of only Rs 2,000 crore in the State outlay of 2013-2014 which also included the funds from NLCPR and NEC.

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