Lalthanhawla attends NEC plenary meet
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network
Aizawl, July 16 2013:
Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla while attending the 62nd Plenary Meeting of North Eastern Council (NEC) held today at New Delhi delivered on the several needs of Mizoram along with a number of suggestions.
The Chief Minister has asked to include the NEC and Non Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) Funds in the State Annual Plan.
Regarding the Road Projects under NEC, the Chief Minister informed that there is problem for Mizoram and other States as such projects covers Inter State roads only.
He added that as the roads in Mizoram stretch along North to West, the roads stretching along East and West therefore could not be covered by interstate connectivity policy.
The Mizoram Chief Minister therefore suggested to adjust the NEC Fund and asked to pay heed to the Inter district connectivity in Mizoram which shares 800 km long international borders.
Besides, the Chief Minister suggested that in the same line as done by Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, the NEC Funded roads may be maintained and attended from NEC too.
The NEC, complying with the suggestions of the Chief Minister, said it would forward the same to the 14th Finance Commission.
Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla further suggested that some more may be included for the purposes of contingencies, quality control and for others in the estimates prepared by Mizoram government which are used to send to NEC.
He also suggests that the system by which the State may share the expenditure for any additional requirements may be done away with, saying that the State could not afford to follow this system.
Moreover, the Chief Minister suggested that the time span within which the State received responses to its suggestions from the different Line ministries may be shortened and fixed to at least within 3 months.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla then expressed gratitude over the acceptance of the Central government to have a separate Secretary each for Ministry of DoNER and NEC, and also for empowering the NEC Secretary with financial power up to Rs.15 crore.
However, Chief Minister Lalthanhawla suggested that the NEC Secretary may also be given financial power as in the case of the Additional Secretary of Central Ministry at the tune up to Rs 50 crore.