NITI forum to conduct meeting to boost development projects in North East

New Delhi: The first meeting of newly constituted NITI Forum for North East will be held in Agartala on April 10, to boost Development Projects in the states.

The meeting will be chaired by Rajeev Kumar, the Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog and the co-Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Jitendra Singh.

Chief Ministers of the North Eastern states and leading lights from the region will attend the deliberations.

The agenda for the first meeting include:

• Strategies for improving Road, Rail and Air Connectivity in the North East Region

• Realizing the Hydel Dream - Way Forward for utilizing existing potential for hydro-power in the NER

• Agriculture and allied sectors

- NE States to encourage Organic Farming

- Cultivation of Vegetables, fruits, Spices, medicinal plants

- Soil Health Card for farmers

- Minimising post-harvest losses

- Increased coverage under Crop Insurance

- Milk production to be boosted

• Water Management

- Early completion of on-going irrigation projects

• Promotion of Tourism

- Promotion of Eco-Tourism, Rural Tourism and Adventure Tourism

- Strengthening of North East Tourism Development Council (NETDC)

- Organically-themed Home-Stay Tourism (as in Sikkim) may be encouraged in other NE States

- The NETDC to work closely with the NE States for tourism promotion

• Identifying and targeting early bird projects in areas of connectivity, agricultural productivity and industrial development to give a fillip to growth in the NER.

The 'NITI Forum for North East' was constituted in February 2018 with an aim to ensure the sustainable economic growth of the North Eastern Region (NER) of the country and periodically review the development status in the North Eastern region.