The Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, appreciated State's efforts for improving utilization potential and also to bridge the gap between develop and less developed districts through increased flow of funds to the less developed districts for infrastructure development. Creation of Department of under-developed districts was also commended. He said the Commission was having a fresh look at the development strategy for the North-Eastern Region and Shri B.N. Yugandhar, Member; Planning Commission would shortly take up strategy with the States of the Region for evolving an action plan. Shri Ahluwalia said that with the implementation of Bharat Nirman and backward region grant fund, Nagaland will have increased flow of resources and efforts should be made to ensure effective implementation of these programmes. Commenting on the year of farmers being observed next year, the Commission suggested that the State Government should work out a comprehensive programme aimed at communitization of the sector along with focused attention at making State self-reliant in animal husbandry and improving agriculture production.
Briefing the Commission on the performance and future plans of the State, the Chief Minister said that Nagaland's fiscal position was quite satisfactory and credit deposit ratio has increased from 15 per cent in 2003 to 25 percent in 2005. He pointed out that the State's own resources after a gap of many years would be positive for the next fiscal year. He sought Planning Commission support for promotion of micro financing, empowerment of women and efforts to combat flowering of bamboo.
He said efforts were on to improve basic infrastructure, which has grown slowly but steadily during the past few years. The number of national highways has increased to 5 from one. The Planning Commission should support State in developing infrastructure including roads, power, industrial growth centers and trade infrastructure. He said the services sector was being looked at as an exportable commodity and study of Chinese and South East Asian languages was being encouraged to prepare for development of trade through this region.