The 13th Finance Commission has outsourced a major part of the exercise for devising ways to better manage ecology, environment in the North-East to two prominent organisations.
"We have entrusted two renowned institutes of the country -- The Energy and Resources Institute and the Bhopal-based Indian Institute of Forest Management -- with the job to explore ways to better manage ecology, environment and climate change consistent with sustainable development," Finance Commission chief Vijay Kelkar said.
Based on their inputs, the Finance Commission would make its recommendations.
The commission held its eighth round of NE-specific talks in Shillong last week. The discussion centered on the protection of environment and adoption of measures to combat natural disasters.
Traditionally, the Finance Commission tries to figure out how tax revenues should be shared between the Centre and states. But, the 13th Finance Commission has been asked to help frame economic policies that are needed to mitigate the effect of climate change.
Kelkar said experts from the region underlined the need for measures to combat floods and push for afforestation.
"During the deliberations, the scholars and experts laid stress on decentralisation for effective implementation of the government schemes."
The Finance Commission, which earlier held meetings in New Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Pune, Mumbai and Chandigarh, is likely to hold another round of talks in the North-east after the recommendations from the two institutes.
Representatives from the North Eastern Council, experts from North Eastern Hills University, CII, besides experts from various fields took part in the first meeting.
The chairman of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change and TERI chief Dr R Pachauri had said recently that the North-East was the neighbour of a vulnerable region, Bangladesh, which is prone to cyclones.
"Natural resources in the NE are still by and large intact and steps should be taken to protect them from exploitation. However, the NE has the scientific and technical capability to tackle the problem," Pachauri, leading a global campaign on climate change, had stated.
He had also promised all necessary help from the TERI in this regard.