DoNER’s secretariat to also be in Nagaland soon
Al Ngullie
Dimapur, July 13
A functional secretariat of the Ministry of Development of North East Region (DoNER) is being expected to reach Nagaland soon too–and function based here–too if progress on the working peripherals of a ‘travelling secretariat’ materializes, as Assam and Mizoram have got their turns. This functional office is what the DoNER minister has suggested today in Delhi that the centre was starting to act out the ‘look east policy’ practically.
“DoNER at Doorstep”, is a unique experiment of the DoNER ministry that was instated in February this year. It is a creative administrative project of the ministry which will see a ‘rotational secretariat’ of the Ministry for Development of Northeast Region functioning in each of the eight north-eastern states by turns, and on a monthly basis.This novel concept practically means that the ministry’s central working capital, the secretariat, would be working from a north-eastern state other than Delhi. For instance, the ministry’s secretariat would work from Nagaland for a month before it shifts to another eastern state for the subsequent month.
DoNER at Doorstep was hailed during an interactive conclave of intellectuals in New Delhi on July 13, Monday. During the meeting, minister for DoNER Dr Jitendra Singh also released a book “Socio-Economic Development Policies for Manipur and Nagaland”.
The publication is primarily a book of research from author Dnyanada Palkar. The book contains statistical data that policy makers can use to devise strategies of development to nurture economic and developmental growth of the northeastern region and her states.
After the main function, former Governor of Mizoram, AR Kohli, had spoken about the book. He said it was ‘very methodically researched documentation with statistics and figures which would help develop strategies for a strong framework for future growth on the region’.
Earlier in the event, Dr Jitendra Singh addressed the main function. The DoNER chief had remarked to the gathered technocrats and intellectuals that he had often heard about suggestions that the northeast needed to be brought closer to ‘mainstream’ India.
But, the minister said, it also occurred to him that why not devise means to bring “mainstream India” closer to the northeast instead. That was how the concept of “DoNER at Doorstep” was developed.
The arrangement that is DoNER at Doorstep will not only help officials of the central ministry to imbibe an on-the-spot assessment of the developmental works and activities going on in a particular state and assess inputs at the ground level. The arrangement will also conveniently be able to address and redress the grievances of the state where the ministry was being stationed for the month, Dr. Singh said.
Conversely, the people of the northeast state need not travel all the way to Delhi. Instead, Delhi and the ministry for DoNER can now ‘travel to their doorsteps’. Therefore, the name “DoNER at Doorstep”, Dr. Singh explained.
Another matter that the minister broached during the conclave was about reconciling the empirical concepts of the so-called ‘look east policy’ to actually building mechanisms that would act as functional platforms of the policy itself.
‘If India was to effectively follow its “act east” policy and build up its presence with the territories beyond eastern borders, then it was equally imperative that we should also effectively act proximal to the eastern borders which in other words mean ‘act east proximal to be effective to act east distally’, the minister said in his discourse.
Inspired by the idea, the minister said, the DoNER ministry instituted a helpdesk called the ‘northeast helpdesk’ in Delhi itself. Besides, the ministry conducted a daylong workshop during which cabinet Ministers from the eastern countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Myanmar participated.
The interest of minister Dr. Singh in the administration of the north eastern states as expressed in the concept of the ‘rotating DoNER secretariat’ is not so much a publicity stunt as it is for greater developmental accountability: ‘Each of the eight States of Northeast has its own peculiarities and if India is known as a country of “unity in diversity”, he said, then the northeast region is the most striking example of “diversity within diversity”.
‘This should not be seen as a disadvantage, but rather an advantage because it enriches the vast potentials and the driving spirit among the people of the region, who enjoy a very high literacy rate and a small State like Mizoram has a literacy rate of 92-93% which is next only to Kerala’.
Referring to vast unexplored potential resources of northeast, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, ‘Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we have taken up an ambitious organic farming mission which would enable us to make the best use of agricultural and fruit products which are going waste’.
There is also immense potential for the bamboo industry that can be promoted, particularly in the state of Mizoram, he said.
