Ahluwalia for better connectivity to N-E states

Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Monday admitted that there was concern across the country about the implementation of development schemes without any leakage. 

Talking to the media after chairing the first day's session of the two-day regional consultation with North-East states including Sikkim on the Approach document for the 12th Plan in Guwahati, Ahluwalia said, "The 11th Plan's focus on development of infrastructure and connectivity of the N-E states will be continued in the 12th Plan besides laying emphasis on other key sectors like education, agriculture, horticulture, dairy development, fisheries." 

He also stated that there was no thinking on the line of discontinuing any of the privileges including 90:10 funding pattern that were granted to the N-E states during the 11th Plan.

He also assured that the Plan panel noted the common desire of N-E states for improving connectivity with neighbours like Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan, Thailand and other South East and South Asian nations to facilitate rapid economic growth of the region.

Ahluwalia assured to approach the civil aviation ministry to route international flight to South East and South Asian nations through Guwahati airport, which is technically an international airport.

While framing the document, the commission is expected to give emphasis to area specific projects and programmes suitable for the land locked, remote Northeastern region that has special problems and security concerns.

Ahluwalia assured that the 12th Plan would take into consideration special common problems of the far flung northeastern states, like higher unit cost in implementation of projects because of the remoteness and hilly topography, extension of the limit of the length of bridges for hilly region under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. 

The Planning Commission has facilitated the consultation with the northeastern states for preparing the Approach Paper to the Twelfth Five Year Plan ( 2012 – 17). It is the fifth and last regional consultation before finalising the approach document. 

Chief ministers of the all eight states of the region - Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim attended the meeting on Monday.