Aizawl: The 21st Annual Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) continued its second day with a plenary session at the Mizoram Assembly’s Session Hall in Aizawl. Parliamentarians convened to discuss the important topic of merging the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) with the North Eastern Council (NEC) to enhance strategic planning and coordination for various regional projects.
The session was chaired by Sharingain Longkumar, Speaker of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly and Chairman of CPA, India Region, Zone-III. Harivansh Narayan Singh, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, delivered remarks on the previous day’s discussion about the inclusion of the Northeast in the India-ASEAN vision for trade and cooperation. He praised Mizoram’s smooth conduct of the event and extended his gratitude for the hospitality shown to the CPA members and delegates.
Singh highlighted the plenary as an essential platform for exchanging ideas, discussing the benefits and challenges of merging DoNER with NEC, and ultimately driving development and prosperity in the region. He underscored that such a merger could improve project implementation through better coordination, planning, and strategic vision.
Longkumar reiterated the CPA’s commitment to strengthening parliamentary democracy and inclusive growth across the Northeast. He encouraged all members to actively participate in the discussions and contribute their ideas for the betterment of the region.
Throughout the day, delegates presented their perspectives on the potential impact of merging the two entities and deliberated on ways to ensure more efficient project implementation in the region.
Following these deliberations, the conference formally adopted two key resolutions.
The first resolution focused on including the Northeast Region in the India-ASEAN vision for trade and cooperation. The conference acknowledged the Central Government’s efforts toward the socio-economic development of the Northeast, notably through the Act East Policy. It urged the government to further incorporate the region into Indo-ASEAN bilateral trade agreements and called for the completion of critical infrastructure projects, such as the India-Myanmar-Thailand Highway and the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project. The resolution also emphasized upgrading key international trading outposts and promoting tourism and cultural exchanges with ASEAN nations to boost trade and regional development.
In the second resolution, they focused on the importance of merging the Ministry of DoNER with NEC for better strategic planning and coordination. The members proposed creating a separate Departmental Related Standing Committee (DRSC) in Parliament to oversee the functions of DoNER and NEC, thereby ensuring greater accountability and effective implementation of regional development schemes.
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The conference resolved to approach the Northeast MPs Forum to advocate for this proposal to the Government of India and relevant parliamentary authorities.
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