Shillong/Agartala: The North Eastern Council (NEC), a regional planning body, will meet in Guwahati on Tuesday to study developmental schemes and finalise strategies to execute ‘Vision 2020′ plan for the growth of the insurgency-infested region, officials said on Sunday.

“The crucial meeting on Tuesday would underline the important NEC schemes in context of developmental challenges of the region, considering the terrorism that ravaged certain parts of the area,” a senior NEC official said.

The official said: “The meeting would also scrutinise the progress of the implementation of the ‘Vision 2020′ plan.”

The ‘Vision 2020′ document was released by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in July 2008. It seeks to spur investment, reduce poverty, enhance connectivity and bring the backward region at par with the rest of the country by 2020. A hefty fund to the tune of Rs.14 trillion would be required to implement the project.

According to the official, all the eight Chief Ministers of the region have been demanding more funds to complete the ongoing projects and to take up new developmental and infrastructural projects for the member states.

The planning commission has allocated Rs.73.94 billion for the NEC against the council’s demand of Rs.124.50 billion for the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12).

The NEC, which was constituted in 1971 by an Act of Parliament, also plans to increase surface communication with the neighbouring countries.

If Dhaka provides land and water transit facilities to India, it would facilitate transport of goods from the rest of the country to the region through Bangladesh, the official added. .

(IANS)

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