Nagaland Governor Reviews State Development and Technology Initiatives

Kohima: Nagaland Governor Nand Kishore Yadav met with the Planning and Transformation Department at Lok Bhavan in Kohima on July 31. The meeting covered the state planning framework, flagship programs, and long-term goals. Officials discussed the vision for Viksit Nagaland 2047.

Principal Secretary and Development Commissioner Y. Kikheto Sema presented the department's core functions. These include state plan formulation and coordination with NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, and the North Eastern Council. Sema announced the approved Annual Plan Outlay for 2026-27 is Rs 1,350 crore. This budget covers development departments, state share, Local Area Development Programme, land acquisition, and the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority.

Kikheto Sema urged the federal government to increase financial support. He argued that central funding must match other northeastern states to fix infrastructure gaps. "Central funding for Nagaland should be brought at par with other north eastern states to enable the state to bridge critical infrastructure gaps and accelerate socio-economic development," Sema stated.

The department updated the Governor on Aspirational District and Block progress. Kiphire remains the state’s Aspirational District. Akuhaito, Khongsa, and Thonoknyu serve as Aspirational Blocks, with Thonoknyu earning performance incentives from NITI Aayog. Regarding Sustainable Development Goals, Mokokchung, Kohima, and Dimapur lead the North East Region SDG Index.

The Nagaland Institute of Transformation is currently drafting the Viksit Nagaland 2047 document. It awaits review by the High-Level Steering Committee and the state cabinet. Meanwhile, the Nagaland GIS and Remote Sensing Centre continues to push boundaries. They have mapped over 1,300 villages using drones and artificial intelligence.

Other projects include landslide monitoring, PM GatiShakti support, medical drone delivery, and agriculture applications. Governor Yadav praised the move toward technology-driven governance. He demanded evidence-based planning and transparent project execution. Senior department staff attended the session to confirm the state’s roadmap.