New Delhi, May 15: The fifth Sectoral Summit of the North Eastern Council (NEC) on Air Connectivity in the North Eastern region will be held in Mizoram State capital Aizawl on May 18-19 along with the 54th NEC Meeting.

As per schedule prepared by Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Governor Dr SS Sidhu will make a presentation on Dedicated Airline for North Eastern Region on the last day of the summit.

DoNER Minister and the NEC Chairman Mani Shankar Aiyar will present introductory remarks at the 54th NEC meeting on May 18.It will be followed by the Secretary's Report and the confirmation of proceedings of the 53rd Council meeting held on November 15-16 last year at New Delhi.

The meeting will also discuss the Action Taken Report on the decision taken at the 53rd meeting of the NEC.

The meeting will chalk out thrust areas for the NEC's 11th Plan.

Status of the action taken on the decisions arrived at the NEC's Sectoral Summits on Power, Roads, Commodity Boards and APEDA, Inland waterways, Flood Control and Irrigation, and Tourism and Hospitality Industry will also be discussed, besides the release of the proclamations or declarations or statements adopted at the NEC's Sectoral summits.

The National Institute of Public Finance and Policy entrusted to draft the Vision NER 2020 Document will present the status of the Document.

The Sectoral Summit on Air Connectivity in the NE Region will be held on May 19 with the welcome address by Mani Shankar Aiyar.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel will also address the summit and will be followed by the presentation of the Manipur Governor.

The Summit will discuss minutely on issues of upgradation and construction of airports, and air services in the NE Region.

It may be recalled that the statement of the DoNER Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar made in the NE Business Summit on April 10 had highlighted that as against the existing 226 air links in the North-East region, the Government of India plans to increase the number to over 500 in the next two years.

State's Governor Dr.SS Sidhu, Principal Secretary (Planning) DV Singh and Director (Planning) K Mangi Singh will take part in the two-day meeting, informed Mangi.

Street children's welfare scheme (MIC): The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing a scheme christened 'Integrated Programme for Street Children' for prevention of destitution and withdrawal of children from a life on the street.

Replying to a question by Surendra Nath MP in the Rajya Sabha yesterday, Minister of Women and Child Development Renuka Chowdhury said the scheme provides shelter, nutrition health care, sanitation and hygiene, safe drinking water, education and recreational facilities and protection against abuse and exploitation to these children.

The funds are mostly utilised through NGOs and educational institutions.

The Ministry utilised Rs.1016.17 lakh through 83 NGOs and educational institutions in the country to cover 32,931 street children including 16,135 girls during the year 2006-07.Out of the amount, a sum of Rs.1.49 lakh was released to an NGO namely, Social Development and Rehabilitation Council (SDRC), Phouden Mamang Leikai, Thoubal for 100 beneficiaries including 49 girls in Manipur during the year.

During the last five financial years, the Ministry provided financial assistance amounting to a total sum of Rs.29.82 lakh to four NGOs in Manipur namely, SDRC, Phouden Mamang Leikai, Thoubal; Manipur Voluntary Health Association, Wangkhei Ningthem Pukhri Mapan, Imphal; Manipur Mahila Kalyan Samiti, DM Road, Dewlahland, Imphal and Department of Anthropology, Manipur University, Canchipur under the project.

Comment