NEC MEETING TO DRAW UP REGIONAL PLAN

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North Eastern Council (NEC) will hold its annual meeting tomorrow at Gangtok to draw up a regional plan for North Eastern Region. This is the first meeting after the passage of the NEC Amendment Act in December 2002. NEC is now mandated to function as a regional planning body.

In terms of the amendment, Sikkim has become the eighth member of the Council. The composition of the Council has been revised and now consists of the Governors and Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. In addition, three members are to be nominated by the President of India to the Council. While formulating the Regional Plan, the Council will give priority to Schemes and Projects, which benefit two or more States, with the exception of Sikkim for which the Council will formulate State-specific projects and schemes. The Council will also review, from time to time, implementation of projects and schemes, progress of expenditure and measures taken by the Member States for the maintenance of security and public order and recommend to the State Governments further measures to be taken in this regard.