Ahluwalia recommends creation of Department of under-developed districts
New Delhi, Dec 19 (Agencies): The Annual Plan outlay for Nagaland for the year 2006-2007 was on Tuesday approved at Rs 760 crore, which includes Rs 65 crore for projects of special interest to the State.
The plan size was fixed at a meeting in Yojana Bhavan between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphi U Rio.
Dr Ahluwalia appreciated the State’s effort at better utilisation of the State’s resources and to bridge the gap between developed and less developed districts through increased flow of funds to the less developed areas for infrastructure development.
Creation of Department of under-developed districts was also commended. He said the Commission was having a fresh look at the development strategy for the North-Eastern Region and BN Yugandhar, Member, Planning Commission would shortly take up the issue with the concerned states for evolving an action plan.
Dr Ahluwalia said that with the implementation of Bharat Nirman and backward region grant fund, Nagaland will have increased flow of resources and efforts should be made to ensure effective implementation of these programmes.
Commenting on the year of farmers being observed next year, the Commission suggested that the state government should work out a comprehensive programme aimed at communitisation of the sector along with focused attention at making State self-reliant in animal husbandry and improving agriculture production.
Briefing the Commission on the performance and future plans of the State, the Chief Minister said that Nagaland’s fiscal position was quite satisfactory and credit deposit ratio has increased from 15 per cent in 2003 to 25 per cent in 2005. He pointed out that the State’s own resources after a gap of many years would be positive for the next fiscal year.
He sought Planning Commission support for promotion of micro financing, empowerment of women and efforts to combat flowering of bamboo.
Rio said efforts were on to improve basic infrastructure which has grown slowly but steadily during the past few years. The number of national highways has increased to five from one.
The Planning Commission should support State in developing infrastructure including roads, power, industrial growth centres and trade infrastructure.
He said the services sector was being looked at as an exportable commodity and study of Chinese and South East Asian languages was being encouraged to prepare for development of trade through this region.
