Amidst massive security arrangements across Agartala, all-important 72nd plenary meeting of the North Eastern Council (NEC) will start on Saturday to review the ongoing infrastructure projects and to discuss the roadmap of the development of the eight northeastern states, including Sikkim.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia, union minister of state for DoNER, Sukanta Majumder will attend the meet and all of them have already arrived in the state capital.

Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha along with all MPS of Tripura, Chief Secretary and DGP welcome Shah at Agartala airport and soon after his arrival, Shah’s carcade straight moved towards State Guest House.

Officials said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah will preside over the plenary session of the NEC while Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, his deputy Sukanta Majumdar, Governors, Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers of all eight Northeastern states will attend the daylong meeting.

The Home Minister, besides presiding over the NEC meeting, would also attend a series of other events in Tripura during the three-day visit to the state.

Shah will visit the Reang tribal settlement camps in the Dhalai district on Sunday and will also attend the National Cooperative Conference on the same day at Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan in Agartala.

Ahead of Saturday’s plenary session, a pre-plenary technical session of the NEC was held on Friday and MoS Sukanta Majumdar presided over the meeting, where Chief Secretaries of all eight Northeastern states, senior officials of DoNER Ministry and the NEC, and officials from all the states of the region took part.

Tripura's capital city Agartala is hosting the NEC plenary meet for only the second time since 2008.

DGP, Amitabh Ranjan said massive administrative preparation has been completed and  keeping in view of the present unrest in neighbouring Bangladesh , the state administration  has also adopted the highest standard of security measures .

He said that the joint patrolling has been going on along the international border with capital city of Agartala and other parts of the state in view of the upcoming two-day plenary session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) and BSF has been asked to tighten the security in the entire border. The joint patrolling has been conducted by state police, TSR and BSF in all sensitive areas near Indo-Bangla border.

Apart from two days NEC plenary session, Union Home Minister and chairman of NEC, Amit Shah will visit Bru settlement camp at Bruha Para (Haduklau Para) and a public meeting at Masurai Para under Dhalai district on December 22. On the same day, Shah will address the National Cooperative conference-2024 at Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan in Agartala.

Sources said that Amit Shah will also join a BJP organizational meeting in Agartala at party headquarters in presence of state leaders and Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha and Shah will also lay the foundation stone for BJP state headquarters in Agartala on December 22.

With the stage set and expectations high, the 72nd Plenary of the North Eastern Council promises to be a defining moment in the region's journey toward a prosperous future.

NEC Secretary Angshuman Dey reflected on the significance of this plenary and the NEC's role in regional development.

He underscores the Prime Minister’s vision, where the NER is celebrated as 'Ashta Lakshmi', a symbol of immense potential and cultural richness.

The NEC's role has evolved significantly since its inception, transforming from an advisory body to a key regional planning agency, an official release quoted Dey.

The NEC was established in 1971 and subsequently inaugurated in Shillong in 1972 by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. This milestone marked a pivotal moment in the region's planned and coordinated development.