Nagaland CM seeks Centre's urgent support for key projects in state

Kohima, Nov 10 (PTI) Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Monday strongly pitched for the Central government's support in critical infrastructure, education, and connectivity projects in the state.

Speaking as the guest of honour at the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India Region Zone-III Conference held at the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) here, Rio, while highlighting several pressing issues requiring the Centre's attention, urged it to reconsider the establishment of an Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Nagaland.

Recalling that it was announced in the Union Budget 2015-16 but never materialised, he said the state has already set aside 200 acres of land at Sukhovi, near Dimapur Airport, for the project.

The chief minister called for the upgradation of the Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (NIMSR) into an AIIMS-like institute, noting that this would ensure better healthcare access for people across Nagaland and neighbouring states.

Rio pointed out that Nagaland currently has only eight kilometres of railway line and urged the Centre to expedite the Dimapur-Tizit railway line, a 250-km stretch covering Wokha, Mokokchung, Longleng, and Mon districts.

He also appealed for reconsideration of the Ciethu Greenfield Airport project in Kohima, which was recently not approved by the Centre due to funding constraints.

Despite having rich deposits of cobalt, nickel, natural gas, and petroleum, Rio said the state remains resource-constrained as oil exploration continues to be sub judice.

The chief minister lamented that Nagaland lacks national institutes such as IIT or National Law University, saying these are essential for promoting research, retaining local talent, and driving innovation.

Expressing concern over the re-imposition of the Protected Area Permit (PAP) in December 2024 for Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram, Rio said it has discouraged investment and limited economic growth opportunities.

"It is imperative that special consideration be accorded to Nagaland in terms of infrastructure, connectivity, education, and institutional development," Rio stressed, adding that equal opportunities for the people of the state were key for their meaningful participation in the nation's progress.

Tracing the region's parliamentary journey, Rio said that the North Eastern Regional Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (NERCPA) was first established in 1996 under Late P A Sangma, and later renamed CPA India Region Zone-III in 2018.

He noted that Nagaland had played an important role in fostering regional parliamentary collaboration, including hosting the first NERCPA Conference in 1997 and the 10th in 2007.

The chief minister commended the Nagaland Legislative Assembly and the CPA Zone-III organisers for successfully hosting the conference and expressed hope that the deliberations would further strengthen democracy and cooperation among the North Eastern States. PTI NBS NBS RG