Satinder Kumar Bhalla urges Nagaland to submit ambitious, long-term projects aligned with Viksit Nagaland@2047, focusing on tourism, agriculture, technology and sustainable development.
DIMAPUR — North Eastern Council (NEC) Secretary Satinder Kumar Bhalla has called on Nagaland to submit ambitious, long-term project proposals aligned with the State’s vision of “Viksit Nagaland@2047”, assuring continued support from the council for the State’s development.
Bhalla made the statement during an interaction with senior officials of the Nagaland government at Polo Hotel, Aradura Hill, Kohima, on October 2.
The meeting followed his visit to the Touphema coffee plantations, State Museum and Kisama Heritage Village.
According to a DIPR report, the meeting was attended by Adviser, Land Resources, G Ikuto Zhimomi, and senior officers from the Tourism, Art & Culture, Land Resources, Economics & Statistics, and Planning & Transformation departments.
Bhalla said the NEC was looking forward to receiving a comprehensive “wish list” of projects from Nagaland and encouraged the State to think beyond small projects by preparing larger proposals with a long-term perspective up to 2047.
On tourism, he suggested developing an “iconic tourism circuit” covering key destinations across Nagaland and adopting a “One District, One Destination” approach to promote tourism and generate economic opportunities.
He also highlighted the economic potential of Nagaland’s forests, stating that conservation and development could go together. Opportunities in carbon credits, e-sports, information technology, IT-enabled services and cultural heritage, he said, could create employment while protecting the environment.
Also read: North Eastern Council pushes for integrated coffee economy in Nagaland
Bhalla further encouraged the State to focus on value addition and processing of agricultural produce within Nagaland to minimise wastage and improve returns for farmers.
In his welcome address, Principal Secretary and Development Commissioner Y Kikheto Sema thanked the NEC for its continued support to Nagaland. He stated that the state had received INR 1,644.36 crore from the NEC over the past 22 years for 252 projects across the state.
Sema highlighted Nagaland’s natural resources, rich biodiversity, cultural heritage and favourable climate as key opportunities for economic development.
He particularly pointed to the potential of coffee, tea and rubber plantations, noting the State’s vision to expand coffee cultivation to 50,000 hectares by 2030.
He identified health, education, roads, infrastructure, tourism, and meat, egg and fish production as areas requiring greater investment.
He also called for greater promotion of eco-tourism, agro-tourism and forest tourism by making better use of the State’s natural and cultural resources.
Sema emphasised that Nagaland’s culture is its strength and identity and should be integrated with tourism and economic development.
He also sought greater flexibility in cost norms for the Northeastern states, particularly Nagaland, in view of the region’s difficult terrain, high transportation costs and other geographical challenges.
The interaction concluded with an emphasis on strengthening the partnership between Nagaland and the NEC and pursuing larger, sustainable and employment-oriented projects for the State’s long-term development.