North Eastern Council
In 1971, the Indian Central government set up the North Eastern Council by an Act of Parliament. The eight States of North East India viz. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim, are members of the council, with their respective Chief Ministers and Governors representing them. The headquarters of the council is situated in Shillong and functions under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region of the (Government of India).[1]
The Council is an advisory body and may discuss any matter in which the North Eastern States have a common interest and advise the Central Government as to the action to be taken on any such matter. This was done so as to take care of the economic and social planning of these states, as well as to provide mediation in the event of inter-State disputes.
The Council has, to its credit, demonstrated considerable achievements, mostly in the provision of electricity and education to Indian citizens in the North-Eastern States. The council has funded projects producing around 250 megawatts of electricity to reduce the region's dependency on the States of West Bengal and Odisha. The Council has also taken up major highway and bridge building projects and funds many engineering and medical colleges.
The funding of the Council mainly lies with the Central Government, with small portions contributed by the state governments as well.
The NEC Act has been amended in 2002 to include membership for the State of Sikkim and restructure the Council as the regional planning body for the North Eastern Region.
References
- ↑ Organisations DoNER.