Kohima, June 4: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Thursday sought special financial assistance from the Centre and highlighted several key infrastructure and development projects during the 73rd Plenary Session of the North Eastern Council (NEC).

The meeting was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Minister of State for DoNER Sukanta Majumdar, and the Governors and Chief Ministers of the northeastern states.

Addressing the plenary session, Rio expressed appreciation to the Government of India, the Ministry of DoNER and the NEC for their continued support to Nagaland and the Northeast. He said the forum provided an opportunity for the northeastern states to collectively advance the region’s development agenda.

The Chief Minister said Nagaland had placed before the council its development priorities, fiscal concerns and strategic initiatives requiring continued support from the Centre and regional development agencies.

Highlighting the state’s financial challenges, Rio said Nagaland was facing a serious fiscal gap following the discontinuation of Revenue Deficit Grants (RDG), which had been provided by successive Finance Commissions to help meet expenditure requirements and deliver essential public services. While acknowledging support under the Part X – Pride of Hills component of the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme, he noted that the assistance was loan-based and conditional. He urged the Centre to consider special grants to offset the impact of the withdrawal of RDG.

Rio also stressed the importance of major infrastructure projects, including the Foothill Road or Trans-Nagaland Highway, development of Ciethu Airport and landing strips, expansion of rail connectivity and inland waterways. He said these projects would help unlock opportunities in agriculture, agro-based and mineral-based industries, trade, tourism and sustainable livelihoods.

The Chief Minister reiterated Nagaland’s demand for the establishment of an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), a Greenfield All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and the strengthening of the Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (NIMSR) in Kohima. He said these initiatives, along with a proposed Greenfield incubation city, would promote innovation, generate employment and accelerate economic growth.

Rio further stated that strengthening power infrastructure remained crucial for the state’s development. He also emphasized investments in sports infrastructure and youth development to harness the potential of the younger generation.

On the energy sector, the Chief Minister said the state government was pursuing the early resumption of petroleum and natural gas exploration through a state-specific policy aligned with Nagaland’s special constitutional provisions.

He added that the governments of Nagaland and Assam, under the guidance of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, had made significant progress in discussions aimed at resuming exploration and production activities in the Disputed Area Belt (DAB) along the inter-state border.

Rio reaffirmed Nagaland’s commitment to working closely with the Government of India, the NEC, the Ministry of DoNER and other northeastern states to promote a prosperous, peaceful and integrated Northeast region.