Summit recommends infrastructure development in North-East

The two-day Correct North East (NE) summit has recommended connectivity led infrastructure revolution in the region, developing NE Ring Road, North East Implementation Agency and High Powered NE Economic Forum.
The recommendations were part of the 'Nagaland Declaration' of the summit organised by The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and jointly supported by Union Ministries of External Affairs, Road Transport and Highways and Development of North East Region.
It was hosted by Nagaland Government which concluded at NBCC Convention Centre here this evening.
As the way forward, the summit emphasised on the need to setup a North East Implementation Agency to handle funding of the projects and also put together a team for hands-on monitoring of each project.

The primary objective of the agency will be to streamline implementation and ensure timely completion of projects including development of roads and highways, inland water transport, power, airports, etc.
It will also work towards opening up connectivity routes with the neighbouring countries including Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal, the summit recommended.

The High Powered NE Economic Forum comprised of the Chief Ministers, ministers and other relevant stakeholders could act as a think tank for synchronising planning and efforts for development of the NE Region, especially with respect to connectivity, the summit suggested.
It also recommended that a NE ring road should be developed connecting all the north eastern states which will run parallel to the international borders and would enable border logistics in a way never before possible.

The proposed road would cover distance of around 4,000 km and could mostly follow existing road alignments wherever possible.
On the connectivity led infrastructure resolution in NE Region, the summit proposed that all state capitals in NE need four-lane road connectivity. In order to attract investments, the summit felt that the internal infrastructure of a state including roads, bridges and amenities centre have to be upgraded rapidly.
The recommendations were presented in the concluding session of the summit by Chairman FICCI-NEAC Ranjit Barthakur.
The fifth Connect North East Summit will be held in Arunachal Pradesh in 2018.