56th NEC Plenary session begins

Agartala, May 12 (UNI) The 56th Plenary session of North Eastern Council (NEC) began here today with the Governors of eight NE states, including Sikkim, and Chief Ministers of six states, along with Chief secretaries and top officials of the NEC, attending the meeting.

NEC Secretary Falguni Rajkumar told mediapersons here today that NEC Chairman and Minister for Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER) Mani Shankar Aiyar would preside over the two-day session for approving the Vision 2020 for overall development of the region.

''The Delhi-based National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) has prepared the document Vision 2020 following sample survey on the core issues of the NE states and the views of several Nongovernment Organisations (NGOs) and intellectuals with regard to development were also incorporated in the vision document, which will be the next investment footprint for NE states,'' Mr Rajkumar said.

He informed the Chief Ministers of Tripura, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Mizoram and Cabinet-rank Ministers from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, along with Governors of all NE states, would participate in the discussion on different developmental issues of the region.

NEC officials and Chief Secretaries of NE states had attended the preparatory meeting of the session here yesterday and discussed in detail the NEC agenda, including the budget deficiency of the council in the current fiscal, Mr Rajkumar stated.

''Unfortunately, the region has been passing through phases of turmoil over the years and the time has come to think together to ensure overall development of the region,'' Mr Rajkumar said, adding that prospective plan for poverty alleviation would also be discussed in the meeting.

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