The District Planning & Development Board meeting, Zunheboto was held at the Deputy Commissioner’s Conference Hall, Zunheboto on 13th November 2025, under the chairmanship of the Deputy Commissioner Zunheboto, Dharam Raj, IAS.
The meeting began with a welcome address by the Deputy Commissioner and review of the previous meeting minutes, and the action taken reports such as - Successful conduct of the Inter-Departmental Tournament in the district, and correction of the spelling “Sütsa,” which was earlier spelled as “Sütsah,” as received from the Sumi Literature Board. The correction has been forwarded to the concerned department.
The meeting then proceeded with a discussion on the adoption of the National Highways Act, 1956 (amended in 2017), which came into force on August 1, 2017. The deliberation on the adoption of the National Highways Act was the major agenda discussed in the meeting. The Deputy Commissioner highlighted that the new Act provides up to four times higher compensation to landowners compared to the previous Act.
Under Article 371(A), the State Government currently acquires land on behalf of the Central Government. However, if the new Act is adopted, the Centre will directly acquire land, ensuring greater transparency and efficiency in the process. To facilitate this, the Deputy Commissioner invited discussions with tribal bodies to reach a consensus before forwarding the matter to the concerned authorities.
The members discussed both the merits and demerits of the proposal. Some of the key points highlighted included:
1. Promoting transparency and efficiency in land acquisition.
2. Increasing compensation rates for landowners.
3. Ensuring faster and more effective construction of National Highways.
The Board also emphasized the need for proper awareness campaigns to educate the public about the provisions of the new Act.
The Deputy Commissioner stressed that the purpose of the discussion was to educate and sensitize the people on the importance of embracing change for progress and development. He urged everyone to adopt a positive mindset towards new reforms that aim to benefit society as a whole.
The meeting concluded with closing remarks by the Deputy Commissioner.
(Sepikiu, IA Zunheboto)
