A meeting to review the progress and implementation of projects under the Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE) and other schemes of the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (MDoNER) was held in the office chamber of the Development Commissioner, Nagaland, on October 21. The meeting was attended by Dr. Vipul Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, MDoNER, Y. Kikheto Sema, IAS, Principal Secretary and Development Commissioner, Nagaland, and representatives of the concerned line departments.

Dr. Vipul Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, MDoNER, who was on his second visit to Nagaland, thanked the State Government for the updates and sought clarification on several critical projects, including the setting up of a 50-bedded hospital at the new District Headquarters, Peren; a multispeciality hospital at Chumoukedima; and the construction of indoor and outdoor stadium facilities at Peren Government College.

He stressed the need for the State to urgently prioritise projects for submission under the 16th Finance Commission and advised the departments not to wait for the final allocation figures before submitting their priority lists. He called for the submission of proposals by the end of October and stated that liabilities under the 14th and 15th Finance Commissions would not be carried forward to the 17th Finance Commission.

Emphasising the need for timely implementation, he called for a clear roadmap for project completion, with priority given to older projects and those that could be completed by the next financial year. He also stressed the need to expedite works, reduce project timelines wherever possible and ensure timely responses to queries and clarifications.

Dr. Aggarwal said that major projects under PM-DevINE should be closely monitored and prioritised for early completion. He further emphasised the need for objective, need-based proposals and called for targeted interventions to address critical gaps in SDG performance.

He stated that funding support was available for deserving projects but stressed that timely implementation and completion were essential. While acknowledging the progress made by other Northeastern states, he said Nagaland needed to do more to improve its socioeconomic development and ensure effective implementation of development projects.

Addressing the meeting, Y. Kikheto Sema, IAS, Principal Secretary and Development Commissioner, Nagaland, expressed gratitude to the Government of India and the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (MDoNER) for extending financial assistance to Nagaland since the establishment of the Ministry in 1998. However, he stated that the funding received by the State had not been commensurate with its developmental needs. He informed that Nagaland had received a total of ₹5,339.50 crore under MDoNER from 1998 to 2025, which was comparatively lower than the amount sanctioned to several other Northeastern states. He pointed out that Nagaland was the third-lowest recipient of MDoNER funding in the region, despite being the second-oldest Northeastern state after Assam, and called for greater financial support to address the State’s developmental requirements.

He stated that Nagaland was looking forward to an era of peace, progress and development and emphasised the need to accelerate development by prioritising critical sectors such as healthcare, road connectivity, education and other essential infrastructure.

With government employment opportunities nearing saturation, he said the State Government was exploring alternative avenues for sustainable livelihoods and employment, particularly for the youth. He highlighted the potential of plantation and commercial crops such as coffee, tea, rubber and agarwood, as well as eco-tourism, in promoting entrepreneurship, generating income and ensuring sustainable economic growth.

On the implementation of MDoNER-funded projects, he informed that the State had 71 ongoing projects. While several projects had been completed, the implementation of some projects had been affected by challenges, including land-related issues, natural calamities and delays on the part of contractors. He said the State Government was making concerted efforts to resolve these issues, including taking up matters requiring intervention at the level of the Chief Minister.

He urged MDoNER to take a considerate view of delays in project implementation and continue extending cooperation and understanding, taking into account the unique landholding system and other challenges faced by the State. He also requested that the issue of refunds of previously allocated funds be considered in this context. He emphasised that Nagaland’s peaceful situation should be viewed as an opportunity to provide greater impetus to development.

Highlighting disparities in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) performance between Nagaland and other States, as well as among districts within the State, he said the Government would prioritise sectors and districts with critical developmental gaps. Road connectivity, healthcare, education and other essential services would be taken up based on identified needs.

He also presented updates on ongoing projects and referred to instances where the Government of India had agreed to provide additional funding outside the State’s normal allocation, but the amount was subsequently adjusted within the existing allocation. He urged the Ministry to maintain clarity and consistency in such funding commitments.

He assured that coordination meetings would be held with all concerned line departments to review the status of projects, address implementation-related issues and ensure their timely completion.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the concerned line departments, who presented updates on their respective projects, followed by discussions on the progress, challenges and measures required to expedite implementation.

As part of his visit, Dr. Vipul Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, MDoNER, along with a team from the concerned line departments, is scheduled to visit project sites on October 22. The sites include the construction of the Kohima Multidisciplinary Sports Centre at the IG Stadium Complex, Kohima district, under PM-DevINE; educational infrastructure and facility development at polytechnics in Nagaland, under PM-DevINE; the construction of a 220/132 kV (2×100 MVA) and 132/33 kV (2×50 MVA) substation at Tsitrongse, Dimapur, along with associated transmission lines, under PM-DevINE; and the upgradation of the Radiation Oncology Centre at CIHSR, Dimapur, under PM-DevINE.

(Molungnenla, IA)