AGARTALA, Dec 20: The 72nd Plenary of the North Eastern Council (NEC) commenced on Friday in Agartala, Tripura, marking the beginning of key discussions focused on the region’s development. The plenary session, set to take place on Saturday, will be chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, with a high-level gathering including Union Minister of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jyotiraditya Scindia, the governors and chief ministers of all eight northeastern states, and senior officials.

On Friday, the pre-plenary thematic and technical sessions took place, where central ministries presented their developmental agendas for the North Eastern Region (NER), outlining the future course of action for regional growth.

According to West Tripura district magistrate Vishal Kumar, “Union home minister Amit Shah is scheduled to arrive here on Friday to chair the 72nd plenary session of the NEC to be held at Prajna Bhavan on Saturday.” In addition to the plenary, Shah will also convene a bankers’ meeting to review financial inclusion, credit delivery, priority sector lending, and digital inclusion, further underlining the importance of economic and infrastructural progress in the region.

The session is expected to be a confluence of strategic discussions, with active participation from two NEC members, governors, chief ministers, chief secretaries, and planning secretaries from the eight northeastern states, alongside other senior officials.

A highlight of Shah’s visit will be his trip to the Bru (Reang) settlement camp at Bruhapara, where he will assess the ground realities following the historic Bru settlement agreement signed in July 2018. On Sunday, the Union Home Minister is also scheduled to address a public meeting at Masuraipara in Dhalai district.

This marks the first visit of the Union Home Minister to the settlement camp since the agreement, and is a significant step towards assessing its implementation and progress.

The selection of Agartala for the 72nd NEC plenary reflects the ongoing evolution of the NEC as a key regional planning agency, committed to fostering growth across the northeastern states. Since its establishment in 1971, the NEC has been instrumental in the coordinated development of the region, achieving notable successes such as constructing over 11,500 kilometers of roads, enhancing power generation, and improving airport infrastructure.