GUWAHATI / AGARTALA, June 29 (TIWN): Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair the plenary session of North Eastern Council (NEC) on August 3 and 4 in Guwahati. The NEC was restructured in July last year through the nomination of the Home Minister as its chairman.

MPs of Northeast will join the programme and DoNER Minster Jitendra Singh Singh said that the government will act for improving the lives of North Eastern people in close coordination with the elected representatives from the states of the region. Singh said that DoNER is the only region-based ministry in the Government. In the past five years, the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given due priority to the development of this region, he added. Singh also said the procedures laid down for DPRs have been simplified so as to expedite the execution of projects in the region and to curb the unnecessary delay. The Minister added that the Chief Ministers and Resident Commissioners of different states based in Delhi have been requested to coordinate with DoNER Ministry and follow up with the officials about the development projects of various states. Secretary (DoNER) Dr Inder Jit Singh said that DoNER Ministry plays a coordinating role to act as an interface between the NE states and Line Ministries. He added that DoNER is the only Ministry with territorial jurisdiction. He briefed that Chief Nodal Officers and Nodal officers have been appointed for each of the North Eastern states and line ministries. He also said that Inter-Ministerial committees have been constituted by DoNER Ministry for important sectors such as Roads, Civil Aviation & Tourism, Livlihood, Piggery, Medicinal & Aromatic Plants and Health & Nutrition.