VISION 2020 DOCUMENT FINALISED

Vision 2020 document for the development of the North-Eastern Region
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3 august 2009
16:53 IST
LOK SABHA

The North Eastern Region Vision 2020 document has been finalized. The document was adopted by the North-Eastern Council in its 56th meeting held at Agartala, on 12-13 May 2008. The document was also formally released by the Honourable Prime Minister on 2nd July 2008.

The Vision document sets up the goals, identifies the challenges and suggests regional and sectoral implementation strategies for promoting the socio-economic prosperity of the region. The following objectives are proposed to be achieved.

1. Improve the standard of living of the people of North-Eastern.

2. Structural transformation by effecting significant changes in development strategies to achieve growth rates of GSDP equal to National Averages.

3. Poverty eradication based on participatory planning.

4. Maximizing self-governance by building capacity in people and traditional/local institutions.

5. Harnessing available local resources for development.

6. Substantial strengthening of infrastructure.

7. Expand trade and commerce in the region.

8. Effective governance for establishing peace and harmony in the region.

The document suggests a six-fold strategy for the comprehensive developments of the region.

• Empowering people by maximizing self-governance and participatory development through grass-roots planning to promote inclusive development.

• Creation of development opportunities for the rural areas through enhancing productivity in agriculture and allied activities such as animal husbandry, horticulture, floriculture, fisheries and generation of livelihood options through rural non-farm employment.

• To develop sectors in the region which have a comparative advantage such as agro processing, hydro power generation.

• Enhancing the skills and competencies of the people and building the capacities for institutions within the Government and outside.

• Creating a hospitable investment climate to encourage investment by private sector particularly for infrastructure.

• Harnessing the resources of the Government and the private sector to realize the objectives of the Vision.

It has been estimated in the Vision document that additional investment of Rs. 13,29,891 crores would be required to achieve the objectives enshrined in the Vision document and to bring the North Eastern Region at par with the rest of the country.

The Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region has constituted 17 Thematic Working Groups which are headed by officials of the line Ministries and also includes representatives of State Governments of the North-Eastern States, various other organisations and eminent experts.

These Thematic Working Groups has been constituted on various sectors which include Panchayati Raj & Loacal Self Government, Poverty Eradication, Human Resource Development, Industry, Connectivity (major roads), Connectivity (inland waterways), Connectivity (air), Connectivity (railways), Co0nnectivity (rural roads), Tourism, IT enabled services and Cyber Connectivity, Power, Health Rural Sector, Financial Services Sports, Art & Culture and Look East Policy. These Thematic Working Groups have prepared sectoral Plans of Action based on the objectives in the Vision Document. These plans of action were presented before public representative and media of the North East in Shillong in 2008. The action plans of these Thematic Groups will be finalized in consultation with the concerned Ministries and ‘in principle’ approval of the Planning Commission will be taken for funding the same.

After the Action Plans are finalized by the Thematic Groups, these will be implemented by different Ministries in the North Eastern region from the gross budgetary allocation made to them by the Planning Commission.

The Vision 2020 document projects a time frame for implementation over the period of Eleventh Five Year Plan upto first three years of 13th Five Year Plan, i.e. upto 2020.

This information was given by the Minister of Mines and Minister of Development of North Eastern Region, Shri B.K. Handique in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

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