Crucial 72nd NEC Plenary meeting underway in Agartala

Agartala, Dec 21: The 72nd Plenary Session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) got underway in Agartala on Saturday with Union Home Minister Amit Shah presiding over the day-long closed-door meeting.

The session is attended by Governors, Chief Ministers, and Deputy Chief Ministers of all eight northeastern states, including Sikkim, as well as Union DoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and his deputy, Sukanta Majumdar. This meeting will review the ongoing infrastructure projects and to discuss the roadmap of the development of the region.

The plenary session is expected to discuss a range of issues, including: a framework for increasing palm oil cultivation in the Northeast; enhanced border management along the Bangladesh and Myanmar borders; infrastructure development in the region; total electrification of the region; and addressing aspirations of individual states.

Meanwhile, Agartala has been turned into a fortress with over 10,000 security personnel deployed, including along the sensitive Bangladesh border. Media access has also been restricted to ensure confidentiality during the discussions. The heavy security arrangements follow heightened tensions due to recent protests against alleged attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh and the ongoing violence in Manipur.

Talking about the meeting, Union DoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said, “This meeting will review the progress made in the past 12 months and chart a roadmap for the future. Each state, represented by its Chief Minister and Governor, will present its aspirations, and the Ministry will work to fulfill them.”

This is only the second time since 2008 that Agartala has hosted the NEC Plenary. Historically, NEC meetings have been held in Shillong and Guwahati.

During his three-day visit, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will also attend the National Cooperative Conference and visit the Reang tribal settlement camps in Dhalai district on Sunday.

Established in 1971 and inaugurated in Shillong in 1972 by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the NEC has been instrumental in driving developmental initiatives in the region. The ongoing plenary will also highlight the impact of the PM-DevINE scheme, introduced under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to harness the Northeast’s potential and foster growth across diverse sectors.

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