The Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (MDoNER) has urged Nagaland to expedite the implementation of ongoing development projects, prioritise projects for submission under the 16th Finance Commission and strengthen monitoring to ensure timely completion.

According to a DIPR report, the directives were issued by Joint Secretary, MDoNER, Dr Vipul Aggarwal during a review meeting on the progress and implementation of projects under the Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE) and other MDoNER schemes, held in the office chamber of the Development Commissioner, Nagaland, on October 21.

The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary and Development Commissioner, Nagaland, Y Kikheto Sema, IAS and representatives of the concerned line departments.

Dr Aggarwal, who was on his second visit to Nagaland, thanked the State Government for providing updates and sought clarifications on several key projects, including a 50-bedded hospital at the new District Headquarters in Peren, a multispeciality hospital at Chumoukedima, and indoor and outdoor stadium facilities at Peren Government College.

He stressed the need for the State to urgently identify and submit priority projects under the 16th Finance Commission, advising departments not to wait for final allocation figures before submitting their proposals. He called for the submission of priority lists by the end of October and stated that liabilities under the 14th and 15th Finance Commissions would not be carried forward to the 17th Finance Commission.

Emphasising timely implementation, Dr Aggarwal called for a clear roadmap for completing projects, with priority given to older projects and those that could be completed by the next financial year. He urged departments to expedite works, reduce project timelines wherever possible and respond promptly to queries and requests for clarification.

He said major projects under PM-DevINE should be closely monitored and prioritised for early completion. He also called for objective, need-based proposals and targeted interventions to address critical gaps in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) performance.

Stating that funding support was available for deserving projects, Dr Aggarwal emphasised that timely implementation and completion remained essential. While acknowledging the progress made by other Northeastern states, he said Nagaland needed to intensify its efforts to improve socioeconomic development and ensure effective execution of development projects.

Nagaland seeks greater share of MDoNER funding

Addressing the meeting, Development Commissioner, Y Kikheto Sema expressed gratitude to the Government of India and MDoNER for extending financial assistance to Nagaland since the Ministry’s establishment in 1998. However, he said the funding received by the State had not been commensurate with its developmental needs.

He informed that Nagaland had received a total of ₹5,339.50 crore under MDoNER between 1998 and 2025, which was comparatively lower than the amount sanctioned to several other Northeastern states. Pointing out that Nagaland was the third-lowest recipient of MDoNER funding in the region, despite being the second-oldest Northeastern state after Assam, he called for greater financial support to address the State’s developmental requirements.

Sema said Nagaland was looking forward to an era of peace, progress and development and stressed the need to accelerate growth by prioritising critical sectors, including healthcare, road connectivity, education and essential infrastructure.

With government employment opportunities nearing saturation, he said the State Government was exploring alternative avenues for sustainable livelihoods and employment, particularly for young people. He highlighted the potential of plantation and commercial crops such as coffee, tea, rubber and agarwood, along with eco-tourism, to promote entrepreneurship, generate income and support sustainable economic growth.

Download Nagaland Tribune app on Google Play

71 MDoNER-funded projects under implementation

On the status of MDoNER-funded projects, Sema informed that Nagaland had 71 ongoing projects. While several had been completed, implementation of some had been affected by challenges such as land-related issues, natural calamities and delays by contractors.

He said the State Government was making concerted efforts to resolve these issues, including taking up matters requiring intervention at the level of the Chief Minister.

Sema urged MDoNER to take a considerate view of implementation delays, taking into account Nagaland’s unique landholding system and other challenges, and to continue extending cooperation and understanding. He also requested that the issue of refunds of previously allocated funds be considered in this context.

He stressed that the peaceful situation in Nagaland should be viewed as an opportunity to provide greater impetus to development.

Highlighting disparities in SDG performance between Nagaland and other states, as well as among districts within the State, Sema said the government would prioritise sectors and districts with critical developmental gaps. Road connectivity, healthcare, education and other essential services would be addressed based on identified needs, he added.

He also presented updates on ongoing projects and referred to instances where the Government of India had agreed to provide additional funding beyond the State’s normal allocation, but the amount was subsequently adjusted within the existing allocation. He urged the Ministry to maintain clarity and consistency in such funding commitments.

Sema assured that coordination meetings would be held with all concerned line departments to review project status, address implementation-related issues and ensure timely completion.

Representatives of the line departments presented updates on their respective projects, followed by discussions on progress, implementation challenges and measures needed to expedite the works.

Joint Secretary to inspect project sites

As part of his visit, Dr Aggarwal, accompanied by a team from the concerned line departments, is scheduled to visit project sites on October 22.

The sites include the construction of the Kohima Multidisciplinary Sports Centre at the IG Stadium Complex in Kohima district under PM-DevINE; educational infrastructure and facility development at polytechnics in Nagaland under PM-DevINE; construction of a 220/132 kV (2×100 MVA) and 132/33 kV (2×50 MVA) substation at Tsitrongse, Dimapur, along with associated transmission lines under PM-DevINE; and upgradation of the Radiation Oncology Centre at the Christian Institute of Health Sciences and Research (CIHSR), Dimapur, under PM-DevINE.