‘Connectivity is a hurdle in NE’s development’

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG, Dec 20:  The Joint Secretary of NITI Aayog, Vikram Singh Gaur today urged the Northeastern states to inculcate the ‘best practices’ from other states of the country to fast track development in the region.

“Some best practices related to maintaining of data and programme implementation, adopted at the village level in some states like Gujarat, Kerela, Rajasthan and other states in the country, should be emulated. Similar the best practices being adopted in the Northeast should be also exchanged with other states,” Gaur said.

The NITI Aayog joint secretary was speaking to mediaperson on the sidelines of a two-day workshop “From Vision 2030 to planning and implementation for northeastern states,” organized by the NITI Aayog and United tions India.

The NITI Aayog joint secretary pointed out that at the workshop is one of the best practices brought out was from Gujarat wherein the state has mapped each and every household in 300 different fields and it is being upgraded every year. Gaur said that mapping of households can help government to monitor their programme implementation more efficiently. “This way there will be no pilferages and funds would be effectively utilized and the objectives will be achieved,” the NITI Aayog joint secretary said. However, Gaur said that connectivity in the northeast is a hurdle due to its “difficult terrain” and that the government of India is taking special attention to increase accessibility in the region. Meanwhile, on the discontinuing of the status of special category states of the Northeast, Gaur said that the increase in devolution of Central taxes to the states from existing 32 percent to 42 percent, has in fact resulted in hike allocation of funds to the states in the region.