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Rio calls for expediting pending projects

By CORRESPONDENT

DIMAPUR, June 17 - Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has urged the Centre to expedite the pending projects in the State like Greenfield Airport at Ciethu, Trans-Nagaland Highway (Foothill Road) and Dimapur-Tizit railway line along the foothills so that all districts of the State can be well-connected and the State with rest of the country.

Addressing the 5th governing council meeting of the NITI Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, Rio pointed out that the Ciethu Airport was proposed in 2003 but the project is still pending even after feasibility surveys and studies by various Central Government agencies and preparation of DPR, a CMO release said on Monday.

On the 400 km Trans-Nagaland Highway (Foothill Road), Rio said the highway would connect Tizit in Mon to Khelma in Peren district bordering Assam via Dimapur town and pass through six districts of Nagaland along the foothills. It will also connect the State with Arunachal Pradesh in the north and Assam in the south, he added.

Stating that the road will improve connectivity and boost economic activities across the State, the CM urged the Centre to declare the �alignment� as National Highway and expeditiously sanction the project.

Rio also called for expanding the railways in the State while stating that the construction of Dimapur-Zubza railway line is underway. He said the Dimapur-Tizit railway line along the foothills needs to be expedited.

He raised the long-pending demand for an economic development package for eastern Nagaland districts bordering Myanmar. Rio said the Ministry of Home Affairs on June 12 set up a multi-disciplinary committee after holding a meeting with the State Government on the issue in May. The committee was asked to submit its report on or before August 31. Rio thanked the Centre for converting all Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) for the North East into 90:10 funding pattern and making the NE Road Sector Development Schemes (NERSDS) 100 per cent centrally funded schemes.

He further hoped that the Centre would convert all the existing CSS into 100 per cent centrally funded projects for NE.

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