By Nava Thakuria, Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)

Guwahati , January 8, 2004

Expansion and improvement of legal trade with the neighboring countries particularly Burma (Myanmar), Bangladesh and Tibet is the need of the hour. The speakers in a colloquium held in Guwahati of Assam on January 6 and 7 had emphasized on the improved relationship especially with the adjacent countries to northeastern region of India.

Organized jointly by Centre for North East Studies & Policy Research and Rashtriya Gramin Vikas Nidhi the colloquium drew around 60 participants and stressed the need for North Eastern Council and Union Government of India to develop a participatory approach in planning which would include non-government sector representatives from this insurgency stricken region.

It urged a strong, multi-sectoral and multi-state review mechanism of NEC projects and plans. Such review groups should include professionals, state government representatives, local government members (from Panchayat, district councils and traditional systems) and accepted non-government groups. It also expressed concern that in the 30-year history of the NEC, which now comes under the Department of Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) in New Delhi, no representative of the non-government sector has been nominated although such posts have existed from the start of the NEC. It urged that these should be filled and include women representatives. Speakers and participants included Dr Jayanta Madhab, economic adviser to the Assam Chief Minister, Mr. Radha Binod Koijam, former Chief Minister of Manipur, PL Thanga, Secretary-in-charge, NEC, PD Rai, member, Sikkim State Planning Board, editors, representatives of industry, academics, young entrepreneurs, the health sector, consultants and non-government groups. Moreover communitisation of government programs, training of local human resources, banking to be more entrepreneur-friendly and incentives to the private sector in health, education and young entrepreneurs as well as supporting traditional herbal practitioners were also emphasized.

“Since NEC is now being restructured as a regional planning board, regional
economic policies needed to be developed on the basis of existing State
Development Reports and Human Development Reports which should be shared
with public representatives and Colloquiums, enabling stakeholders to have a
direct role in issues and policies. A Task Force for the review of natural resources of the region and the development of a water transport policy, as separate from dams and general infrastructure, and incentives for tourism, particularly related to natural advantages such as river travel is to be stressed,” told Sanjoy Hazarika, a senior journalist of NE India now based in New Delhi.