The North-Eastern Council Act, 1970

THE NORTH-EASTERN COUNCIL ACT, 1970

No.26 OF 1970

[31st May, 1970]

An Act to provide for the setting up of a Council for the north-eastern areas of India to be called the North-eastern Council and for matter connected therewith.

BE it enacted by Parliament in the Twenty-first Year of the Republic of India as follows :-

1.Short title and commencement.- (1) This Act may be called the North-eastern Council Act, 1970, may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.

2.Definitions.- In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,———

(a) “Council” means the North-Eastern Council established under this Act ;

(b) “Meghalaya” means the autonomous State Known as Meghalaya constituted under section 3 of the Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act, 1969 (55 of 1969);

(c) “North-East Frontier Agency” has the meaning assigned to it in the North-East Frontier Areas (Administration) Regulation, 1954 (Regulation 1 of 1954); and

(d) “State” includes Meghalaya, the Union territories of Manipur and Tripura and the North-East Frontier Agency.

3.Establishment and composition of the North-Eastern Council.- There shall be a Council to the called the North-Eastern Council which shall consist of the following
members, namely :-

(a) the Governor of Assam, who shall be the Chairman thereof;

(b) the Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya;

(c) a Minister each from the State of Assam and from Meghalaya to be nominated by the Governor on the recommendation of the Chief Minister concerned;

(d) the Administrators of the Union territories of Manipur and Tripura;

(e) the Chief Ministers of Manipur and Tripura; and

(f) the person for the time being holding the office of the adviser to the Governor of Assam for Tribal Areas:

Provided that if at any time the Government of Nagaland expresses its desire to be represented on the Council, the Chief Minister of that State and one other Minister
to be nominated by the Governor shall also be members of the Council:

Provided further that if there is no Council of Ministers in any State referred to in this section, the President may, if the deems it necessary so to do, nominate not more
than one person to represent the State on the Council for so long as there is no Council of Ministers in such State.

4.Functions of the Council.- (1) The Council shall be an advisory body and may discuss any matter in which some or all of the States represented on the Council have
a common interest and advise the Government of each State concerned as to the action to be taken on any such matter.

(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the provisions of sub-section (1), the Council may——

(a) formulate for the States represented thereon a unified and co-ordinated regional plan in respect of such plan schemes for those States as are of common
importance to the north-eastern areas of India, such as schemes relating to inter-State communications, common irrigation, power and flood control projects,
agricultural production to achieve regional food self-sufficiency and balanced industrial development of the region;

(b) review from time to time the implementation of the schemes included in the regional plan and recommend measures for effecting co-ordination in implementation of
the schemes by the Government of the States concerned;

(i) any other matter of common interest in the field of economic and social planning, and

(ii) any matter concerning inter-State transport.

5.Meetings of the Council.- (1) The Council shall meet at such time as the Chairman of the Council may appoint in this behalf and shall, subject to the other provisions
of this section, observe such rules of procedure in regard to transaction of business of its meetings as it may, with the approval of the central Government, lay down
from time to time.

(2) The Chairman or in the absence any other member chosen by the members present from amongst themselves shall preside at a meeting of the Council.

(3) All questions at a meeting of the Council shall be decided by a majority of votes of the members present and in the case of an equality of votes the Chairman, or, in
his absence, any other person presiding shall have a second or casting vote.

(4) The proceedings of every meeting of the Council shall be forwarded to the Central Government and also to the Government of each State represented on the
Council.

6.Advisers.- (1) The Council shall have the following persons as Advisers to assist the Council in the performance of its duties, namely :-

(a) one person nominated by the Planning Commission; and

(b) one person nominated by the Ministry of the Central Government dealing with Finance

(2) Every Adviser to the Council shall have the right to take part in the discussions of the Council but shall not have a right to vote at a meeting of the Council.

7.Co-ordination Committee.- (1) There shall be a Committee of the Council called the co-ordination Committee consisting of——–

(a) the Governor of Assam and the Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya;

(b) the Administrators and Chief Ministers of the Union territories of Manipur and Tripura; and

Provided that as and when the State of Nagaland is also represented on the Council, the Chief Minister of that State shall be a member of the Committee.

(2) The Governor of Assam shall be the Chairman of the Committee.

(3) It shall be the duty of the co-ordination Committee to review from time to time the measures taken by the States represented on the Council for the maintenance of
security and public order therein and to recommend to the Governments of the States concerned further measures necessary in this regard.

(4) The Committee shall observe such rules of procedure in regard to transaction of business at its meetings as the Council may, with the approval of the Central
Government, lay down from time to time.

8.Office and staff of the Council.- (1) The Council shall have a secretarial staff consisting of a Secretary, a Planning Adviser and such other officers and employees as
the Central Government may by order determine.

(2) The Office of the Council shall be located at such place as may be determined by the Council.

(3) The administrative expenses of the said office, including the salaries and allowances payable to, or in respect of, members of the secretarial staff of the Council,
shall be borne by the Central Government out of moneys provided by Parliament for the purpose.

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