Infrastructure development will be key issue at NEC meet

The 62nd meeting of the North Eastern Council (NEC), a regional planning authority of the northeastern states, would be held in New Delhi Tuesday to discuss infrastructural problems, an official said Monday.

"The day-long NEC meeting would finalise some strategies for overall development in the northeastern states. Issues relating to railways, roads, civil aviation and waterways would be discussed in the meeting," a Tripura government official told IANS.

He said: "The meeting would also discuss projects concerning power, telecommunication, information technology and disaster management."

Governors, chief ministers, and top officials of all the eight northeastern states and of the central government would attend the meeting, to be held at Vigyan Bhavan in the national capital.

Presentations on livelihood schemes and projects from national skill development corporation, boards on rubber, spices, coffee, tea, and the National Horticulture Board would be made at the meeting, to be chaired by union Minister of Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER) Paban Singh Ghatowar.

Ghatowar is also the chairman of the NEC, the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the northeastern region constituted in 1971 by an act of parliament.

"In view of the severe occasional natural disasters experienced in the region, and as the region, according to seismologists, falls in Zone V, the sixth-worst quake-prone belt in the world, a discussion would also be held on mitigating measures required to be taken in the seismically highly vulnerable region to save life and property during natural calamities," the official said, adding that participants would also take stock of the ongoing projects.