Centre convenes NE CMs' meet to discuss development projects

New Delhi, Aug 19: The Centre has convened a meeting of Chief Ministers of all northeastern states on August 21-22 in Guwahati to formulate a roadmap for development in the region.

The meeting has been called as part of the Narendra Modi government's initiative to accelerate various ongoing development projects in the northeast and explore possible fresh initiatives there.

Apart from the Chief Ministers of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Sikkim, representatives from Ministries like Home, Defence, Finance, Agriculture, Environment, Industries and North Eastern Council will take part in the meeting.

Minister for Development of North Eastern Region Gen (retd) V K Singh, Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju will be present. Both Sonowal and Rijiju belong to the northeast, officials sources said.

A number of projects are in various stages of implementation. The reasons for delay in their completion include shortcomings in detailed projects reports, late techno-economic clearance or vetting by the state government concerned, non-submission of requisite documents, slow tendering process and inadequate budgetary allocation.

"All these issues will be reviewed and appropriate action will be taken for the speedy completion of all ongoing projects," the sources said. The meeting is expected to take stock of the monitoring mechanism under which reviews and field inspections are carried out for expeditious implementation of development projects in the region.

Under the new government, the projects are now being monitored on a regular basis with respect to their physical and financial achievements through progress reports which are submitted by the state governments and other implementing agencies.

PTI