Vision Plan 2020

Under the directive of the Prime Minister, NEC is preparing Vision Plan 2020 to bring balanced economic development in NE.

Bidyasagar Narzary

Prime Minister Dr. Man Mohan Singh in his inaugural speech to the re-constituted North Eastern Council meeting held on April 12, 2005 had directed the North Eastern Council to prepare a Vision Plan 2020 for the Region which will help in bringing balanced economic development in the entire North East Region. As per that directive, the North Eastern Council decided to hold a series of sectoral meetings with senior officers of the constituent states of the Region where senior officials from DONER Ministry, concerned Ministries of Government of India and the Planning Commission will also participate.

Accordingly, to prepare Vision Plan 2020, the first sectoral meeting was held on July 11-12 at NEC Secretariat, Shillong. The meeting was on Water, Drinking Water, Flood Control and Mineral. During its two-day deliberations, the meeting dwelt at length on water resources, flood control and minerals of the Region. Representatives from NE States presented various activities undertaken by them in their respective states. They also suggested certain projects and schemes for inclusion in Vision Plan 2020 as a regional planning body so that NEC could implement these for faster economic growth.

The Central Water Commission and the Brahmaputra Board also participated in the first sectoral meeting. They narrated the activities taken up by them in the North-East Region especially in flood forecasting and flood control measures. The need for conservation and proper     utilisation of mineral resources of the region was also discussed in the meeting. Dr. (Smt.) I. K. Barthakur, Member, NEC presided over the first sectoral meeting.

The following sectoral meetings will also be held to draw up Vision Plan 2020 of NEC.18-19 July 2005 25-26 July 2005 1-2 August 2005 8-9 August 2005 18-19 August 2005 22-23 August 2005 Power, Transport (Roads, Air and Water) Medical and Public Health,Industry and Banking, Tourism, Communication. After discussing in details in these sectoral meetings on the needs of the people for its faster economic growth, a meeting of the Chief Secretaries of all the states will be held before the document is finally made for approval as a Vision Plan 2020. Once Vision Plan 2020 is made for the entire Region, the projects thus included in the    Vision Plan could be attended to either by NEC or the Ministry of DONER or concerned Central Ministry. The State Governments will also prepare Vision Plan 2020 for their respective States based upon the Vision Plan 2020 for the Region prepared by NEC.

It may be mentioned that under the North Eastern Council (Amendment) Act, 2002, No. 68 of 2002 of 23rd December 2002, Section 4 (1) and Section 4 (2), the reconstituted North Eastern Council has to function as a Regional Planning Body for the North Eastern Region. While formulating the Regional Plan for the North Eastern Region, the Council shall give priority to schemes and projects, which will benefit two or more States of the Region. The idea was to bring about a balanced economic development of the Region.

Accordingly, a perspective Plan for the Region as a whole has been visualized for the next 15 years i.e., up to the year 2020. It has been decided to integrate the State Plans of all the States of the NE Region and merge these with the National objectives. In order to prepare Vision Plan 2020, opinions from the constituent States, experts and several planning bodies will be taken by inviting diem in the sectoral meetings thus held so that the Vision Plan 2020 reflects the needs, aspirations and hopes of the people at the grass-root into projects and schemes.

The NEC projects generally endeavour to overcome the constraints that are common to more than one State. It might also identify certain projects or schemes that could contribute to faster economic growth of the Region. The contiguous bordering areas of the States could form large stretches under similar or complimentary schemes or projects to bring-in economies of scale and specialization that would reduce costs and lend comparative cost advantages. The “NEC Vision Plan - 2020” could also endeavour to weld the State(s) Vision Plan 2020 to make a Regional Plan wherein over-lapping and duplication of efforts and resources could be avoided, and the inherent State specific difficulties or constraints addressed.

It is expected that once Vision Plan 2020 is prepared, the North Eastern Council will be able to take up projects, which will benefit the Region as a whole. DONER or other Central Ministries will also take up those projects, which involved more investment for implementation. The State Governments will take up such projects, which will bring immediate benefit to the people of the State.

North Eastern Region has the highest concentration of Handlooms in the country. Out of 25.4 lakh units engaged in handloom activities, 14.6 lakh units (household and non-house hold) are in five States - Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Tripura (Source: handloom census 1995-96). Over 53% of looms in the country and more than 50% of weavers belong to North Eastern States. The share of these five States of North Eastern Region in the domestic looms in 82%. However, only 13.4% of the commercial looms of the country are in those States and the contribution of those States in total production of handloom fabrics is merely 20%.

Keeping in view the potential of the region, it was decided to upgrade the Weavers’ Service Centre, Guwahati to Regional Design Centre in pursuance of the recommendations of the conference of the State Ministers (Handlooms) of North Eastern States held on September 21-22, 2000. It is now functioning as a Nodal Centre for design development and dissemination of designs to the weavers of the region.

The Centre has set up a website which includes a museum of North Eastern designs. The web-site has been linked with the National Centre for Textile Design, for the benefit of the user agencies. It will also help link all those connected with the handloom industry. The Regional Weavers’ Service Centre imparts training to the weavers in and Kashmir in the ratio of 90:10, except marketing incentive, which is in the ratio 50:50. Further, transport subsidy is extended to handloom agencies of North Eastern States, Sikkim, Jammu & Kashmir to facilitate marketing of handloom products in other parts of the Country and strengthen backward linkages in terms of more employment opportunities.

Meanwhile, for developing a Vision Plan for the year 2020, the NEC initiated action to hold sectoral meetings where the concerned senior officers in charge of each sector of all the member states participated.

Initiating first such meeting at the NEC Secretariat building, Shillong, Dr. ( Smt. ) I. K. Borlhakur, Member, NEC, as Chairperson, said that in order to fulfill the needs, hopes and aspiration of the people at the grassroots, it is necessary to go for integrated development of the North East to meet Vision 2020. The meeting would help to identify emerging constraints hindering economic growth and merye these with the National objectives. She stressed some steps to be taken to grow horticulture crops like fruits, spices etc.

The meeting dealty on water resources and flood control, highlighted water requirements in urban and rural areas and clean drinking water, The Central Water Commission and the Brahmaputra Board officials narrated the activities taken up by their departments in the North-East specially in flood forecasting and flood control sectors. The Centre has provided a sum of Rs. 150 crores to check flood and erosion during the Tenth Plan. The Task Force which was set up in 2004 has identified immediate short and lung term measures for the purpose. There are plans to create water storage reservoirs by 2020 to control floods and also a proper drainage system. The delegates also called for implementation of more small and medium irrigation projects.

|  Headlines  |  Editorial   | From Other Publications  |
|  Travel Column   |   News Briefs  |
| OT Main Page | Nena  Home Page  |