Chief Minister Dr Neiphiu Rio on Thursday urged the Centre to support a series of major infrastructure and institutional projects in Nagaland, including the establishment of an IIT and AIIMS, construction of the proposed Greenfield Airport at Ciethu, and development of the Foothill Road (Trans-Nagaland Highway), during the 11th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog in New Delhi.
Addressing the meeting, Rio sought continued fiscal assistance and central support for several long-pending projects, including railway expansion, development of Nagaki City, resumption of oil and natural gas exploration, inland waterways development, urban flyovers, promotion of agarwood cultivation and strengthening of power transmission infrastructure.
The Chief Minister also highlighted Nagaland’s development initiatives and governance reforms while reaffirming the State’s commitment towards the vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047.
According to an official statement, Rio informed the Council that Nagaland has continued to make significant progress in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in SDG-5, and noted that Mokokchung, Kohima and Dimapur districts were ranked among the top ten performers in the Northeast District SDG Index 2.0.
He highlighted governance reforms undertaken by the State Government, including the adoption of an SDG-linked Budget Architecture, Gender Budget Statement and Outcome Budgeting Framework to strengthen transparency, accountability and evidence-based planning.
On women-led development, Rio highlighted initiatives such as the Innovation Seed Fund for nano women entrepreneurs and the introduction of Pink Scooty Taxis. He also outlined measures under the Nagaland Strategic Water Resilience Initiative, expansion of bamboo-based value chains and programmes promoting the green economy.
The Chief Minister further highlighted youth-focused initiatives, including the Nagaland Skill and Entrepreneurship Development Mission, Nagaland Apprenticeship and Placement Exchange, Chief Minister’s STEM Incentive Programme, Academic Excellence Corpus and Open Learning Support Scheme.
In the agriculture sector, Rio stressed the need to strengthen food processing and post-harvest infrastructure to reduce losses and improve market access. He also highlighted efforts to promote coffee cultivation and high-value horticultural crops such as kiwi, persimmon, dragon fruit, avocado and pineapple.
Speaking on the theme, “Human Capital for Viksit Bharat @ 2047,” Rio outlined initiatives in education, skilling, sports and digital governance. These included Lighthouse School Complexes, the Teacher Attendance Monitoring System (Smile App), the Morung Concept of Education, vocational education programmes, the Centre of Excellence–Industry 4.0 at NTTC Dimapur and AI-skilling initiatives.
He also highlighted sports development programmes such as the “Catch Them Young, Teach Them Right” tournament and the Nagaland Super League.
Expressing confidence in the outcomes of the meeting, Rio said the deliberations would further strengthen cooperative federalism and contribute towards building a stronger, more resilient and developed India.
