New Delhi, July 01: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has returned from New Delhi after holding a series of meetings with the Union Ministers and Government representatives on various developmental issues pertaining to the state. According to official sources here today, the Chief Minister met the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Friday and congratulated him on being appointed for a second tenure.
Mr Ahluwalia was apprised of the impending implementation of the sixth Revision of Pay (ROP) for the state government employees and the request to the centre to assist the state in meeting the financial obligations.
The Deputy Chairman was also apprised of his earlier commitment about Clause 11 of the 16-Point agreement. Mr Ahluwalia assured that he would depute Mr B K Chaturvedi, member of the Planning Commission to examine the details for assisting the state in this regard. Mr Rio also called on Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday and submitted a proposal for sanction of a medical college in Dimapur.
The Union Minister had assured to support the state in appointment of doctors to the remote areas, infrastructural developments for the district and primary health centers.
As a follow up of this meeting, the chief minister held a meeting with the department of Health and Family Welfare and directions have been given to the department to pursue the matter of a medical college in Dimapur with the Medical Council of India, examine the feasibility of appointing 25 to 30 doctors to the most remote areas and initiate the process of upgrading three district hospitals in Nagaland. The Chief Minister also called on Mr Vincent Pala, Union Minister of State for Water Resources and discussed issues pertaining to the ministry and overall and equitable development of the northeastern region. He also congratulated Mr Pala on being appointed as the Union Minister. Mr Rio had also written to the Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel requesting him to expedite the Greenfield airport at Ceithu and another request for introduction of a daily airbus from Delhi touching Guwahati, Dimapur and Imphal to improve connectivity for this part of the region with the national capital.
—Agencies