Dimapur: The Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (MDoNER) has sought clarification from the Nagaland government on several key development projects, including a 50-bed hospital at the new district headquarters of Peren, a multi-speciality hospital at Chumoukedima and indoor and outdoor stadium facilities at Peren Government College.
MDoNER joint secretary Vipul Aggarwal sought details at a meeting in Kohima on Wednesday to review the progress and implementation of projects under the Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE) and other schemes of the ministry. The meeting was held at the office of Nagaland’s development commissioner.
Aggarwal said major projects under PM-DevINE should be closely monitored and prioritised for early completion. He called for objective, need-based proposals and targeted interventions to address critical gaps in the state’s performance on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He said funding was available for deserving projects but stressed that timely implementation and completion were essential.
Aggarwal also urged the state government to prioritise projects for submission under the 16th Finance Commission without waiting for final allocation figures. He called for proposals to be submitted by the end of October and said liabilities under the 14th and 15th Finance Commissions would not be carried forward to the 17th Finance Commission.
Emphasising the need to expedite implementation, he called for a clear roadmap for completing projects, with priority given to older projects and those that could be completed by the next financial year. He also urged departments to shorten project timelines wherever possible and respond promptly to queries and requests for clarification.
Aggarwal said Nagaland needed to strengthen its socioeconomic development efforts and improve the implementation of development projects, noting the progress made by other northeastern states.
At the meeting, Nagaland Principal Secretary and Development Commissioner Y Kikheto Sema said the funding received by the state had not been commensurate with its developmental needs.
Sema said Nagaland received a total of Rs 5,339.50 crore from MDoNER between 1998 and 2025, a figure he said was lower than the amounts sanctioned to several other northeastern states.
He pointed out that Nagaland was the third-lowest recipient of MDoNER funding in the region, despite being the second-oldest northeastern state after Assam. Sema called for greater financial support to meet the state’s development requirements.