XVFC: Nods for landing strips in each district, new Raj Bhavan in Nagaland

The New High Court Complex Kohima (Main High Court Building, Civil Works) under construction as on July 31,2017. The foundation stone was laid by the then Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan in 2007 and construction work was started in 2008-09 under the erstwhile Special Plan Assistance. (Photo Courtesy: https://npwd.nagaland.gov.in/)

The New High Court Complex Kohima (Main High Court Building, Civil Works) under construction as on July 31,2017. The foundation stone was laid by the then Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan in 2007 and construction work was started in 2008-09 under the erstwhile Special Plan Assistance. (Photo Courtesy: https://npwd.nagaland.gov.in/)

Rs 100 cr recommended for completion of new High Court Complex

Moa Jamir
Dimapur | February 3

The 15th Finance Commission (XVFC), which was tabled in the Union Parliament on February 1, has recommended several state specific projects worth Rs 525 for Nagaland, to be implemented during the award period 2021-26. 

Due consideration will be given to these recommendation, the Union Government said on these several state specific recommendations. 

It included construction of small landing strips in all districts under Civil Aviation and construction of a new Raj Bhavan, informed the Commission’s report. 

“The State has emphasised the need for having small landing strips in each district to provide air travel via small twin-engined aircrafts in interior areas of the State. We recommend an amount of Rs 90 crore for this purpose,” it said. 

The report further informed that the Government of Nagaland (GoN) also requested for construction of the new Raj Bhavan as the existing Bhavan covers only 5.5 acres and is perhaps the “smallest Raj Bhavan in the country” with three guest rooms, which creates a problem during the visit of dignitaries.

The GoN has identified a site for the new Raj Bhavan which is ‘about 15 km from the proposed airport in Kohima and is also within the vicinity of the bungalows of Chief Ministers and Cabinet Ministers,’ the Commission noted.

“We recommend an amount of Rs100 crore for this purpose,” it added. 

A sum of Rs 25 crore was also recommended for ‘Construction of police check posts for entry/exit at Indo-Myanmar border’ under the Free Movement Regime as per the request from the State Government, it said.  

The GoN also sought support for coffee development in the State citing that the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement with a South African firm for the purchase of Nagaland coffee for the next thirty years.

“We recommend a sum of Rs 150 crore for this purpose,” the Commission noted.  

Apart from this, a sum of Rs 100 crore was recommended for completion of the new High Court Complex in Kohima.

The GoN has sought assistance for the completion of construction work which was started in 2008-09 under the erstwhile Special Plan Assistance and not completed due to discontinuation of the SPA arrangement, the Commission informed.

The expected date of completion of the long awaited Nagaland High Court complex construction at Meriema, Kohima was earlier reported as June 2022.

It further recommended an amount of Rs 60 crore for constructing of fire stations in five new districts and additional seven new stations in other seven districts in response to a GoN’s memorandum.

It is pertinent to note here that the Union Government is yet to accept those recommendations.

The explanatory memorandum/action taken report on the XVFC’s recommendations tabled by the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 in the parliament regarding the state specific projects read:  “Keeping in view the untied resources with the State Governments and the fiscal commitments of the Central Government, due consideration will be given to the above recommendation.”