NEC plenary to discuss how Northeast can ‘represent itself as a destination’: Meghalaya CM

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on June 3 said he will present a roadmap to position the Northeast as a single tourism destination at the upcoming North Eastern Council (NEC) plenary meeting, arguing that collective branding and regional cooperation are essential to unlocking the sector's full potential.

Sangma, who heads the high-level task force on tourism for the Northeast, said the report will outline ways for the eight northeastern states to market themselves jointly and utilise their combined strengths to attract more visitors.

“We will be talking about how the Northeast as a whole can represent itself as a destination or as a potential market for tourism, not just the states on their own, but the region as a whole,” he told reporters ahead of the plenary session scheduled for Thursday, June 4.

The annual NEC meeting, to be chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, will bring together chief ministers and governors from across the Northeast to discuss key development priorities for the region. Shah is expected to arrive in Shillong on Wednesday evening.

Sangma said the plenary would focus significantly on recommendations submitted by sectoral task forces constituted by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) under Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

According to the chief minister, task forces have been formed for sectors including tourism, youth development, trade and infrastructure. Each panel is led by a chief minister and includes representatives from other northeastern states.

“Different states have worked together through these task forces to come up with recommendations for the development of the region,” Sangma said, crediting Scindia for driving the initiative.

He said discussions during the plenary would centre on translating the task force reports into actionable plans.

“The main focus will be to see how the reports of the different task forces can be implemented in the days to come,” he said, adding that broader issues concerning the development of the Northeast are also expected to be discussed.

Sangma further announced that Meghalaya is set to host a series of visits by senior Union ministers in the coming weeks. Union Health Minister JP Nadda is scheduled to visit Shillong on June 5, while Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to travel to the state later this month.