Nagaland Chief Minister Dr Neiphiu at the 11th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog in New Delhi on June 11. (DIPR Photo)
New Delhi, June 11 (MExN): Nagaland Chief Minister Dr Neiphiu Rio on Thursday highlighted the State's governance reforms, development initiatives and infrastructure priorities while seeking greater Union support for several major projects during the 11th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog in New Delhi.
Some of projects major infrastructure and development projects he listed included the Foothill Road (Trans-Nagaland Highway), Greenfield Airport at Ciethu, establishment of IIT and AIIMS in Nagaland, railway expansion and the development of Nagaki City.
Seeking continued support from the Government of India, CM Rio also requested fiscal assistance for the resumption of oil and natural gas exploration, inland waterways development, urban flyovers, promotion of agarwood cultivation and strengthening of power transmission infrastructure.
As per the State DIPR, he also expressed confidence in the outcomes of the meeting and held that deliberations would further strengthen cooperative federalism and contribute towards building a stronger, more resilient and developed India.
He also outlined a series of governance reforms undertaken by the State Government, including the adoption of an SDG-linked Budget Architecture, a Gender Budget Statement and an Outcome Budgeting Framework aimed at enhancing transparency, accountability and evidence-based planning.
Highlighting women-led development initiatives, CM Rio pointed to the Innovation Seed Fund for nano women entrepreneurs and the introduction of Pink Scooty Taxis. He also cited measures under the Nagaland Strategic Water Resilience Initiative, the expansion of bamboo-based value chains and programmes promoting the green economy.
On youth development, he highlighted initiatives such as the Nagaland Skill and Entrepreneurship Development Mission, Nagaland Apprenticeship and Placement Exchange, Chief Minister's STEM Incentive Programme, Academic Excellence Corpus and Open Learning Support Scheme.
In the agriculture sector, the Chief Minister stressed the need to strengthen food processing and post-harvest infrastructure to reduce losses and improve market access. He also highlighted efforts to promote coffee cultivation and expand the cultivation of high-value horticultural crops, including kiwi, persimmon, dragon fruit, avocado and pineapple.
He further underscored the role of tourism and culture in economic development, citing the Hornbill Festival and Mini Hornbill Festivals as platforms for preserving cultural heritage while generating livelihood opportunities for artisans, weavers, performers, food entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Speaking on the theme, “Human Capital for Viksit Bharat @ 2047,” Rio outlined initiatives in education, skilling, sports and digital governance, including Lighthouse School Complexes, the Smile App, the Morung Concept of Education, vocational education programmes, the Centre of Excellence–Industry 4.0 at NTTC Dimapur and AI-skilling initiatives.
He also highlighted sports development programmes such as the “Catch Them Young, Teach Them Right” tournament, the Nagaland Super League and the creation of sports infrastructure across districts.
On digital governance, CM Rio cited initiatives including the Personal Information Management System (PIMS), the Common Scholarship Portal, the Nagaland Spatial Data Infrastructure and the proposed AI Research Centre in Kohima.
