The North-Eastern Council Act, 1971
# THE NORTH-EASTERN COUNCIL ACT, 1971
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 ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
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SECTIONS

1. Short title and commencement.
2. Definitions.
3. Setting up and composition of the North-Eastern Council.
4. Functions of the Council.
5. Meetings of the Council.
6. Nomination of certain officers to attend the meetings of the Council.
7. Officers and staff of the Council.
8. Repeal.

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# THE NORTH-EASTERN COUNCIL ACT, 1971

 ACT NO. 84 OF 1971

[30th December, 1971.]

# 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 matters connected therewith. 

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

**1. Short title and commencement.—(1) This Act may be called the North-Eastern Council**

Act, 1971.

(2) It shall come into force on such date[1], being a date not earlier than the day appointed under

clause (b) of section 2 of the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971 (81 of 1971), as the Central
Government 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 set up under section 3;

2[(b) “north-eastern area” means the area comprising the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam,

Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram,[3][Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura]];

**3. Setting up and composition of the North-Eastern Council.—[4][(1) There shall be a Council to be**

called the North-Eastern Council which shall consist of the following members, namely:—

(i) the person or persons for the time being holding the office of the Governor of the States;

(ii) the Chief Ministers of the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya,

Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura:

Provided that, if there is no Council of Ministers in any State referred to in clause (b), the

President may nominate not more than one person to represent such State in the Council for so long
as there is no Council of Ministers in such State;

(iii) three members to be nominated by the President.]

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), the President may, if he deems it

necessary so to do, nominate a Union Minister to be a member of the Council.

5[(3) The President shall nominate the Chairman of the Council.]

(4) The President may, if he deems it necessary so to do, nominate another member of the Council to

act as Vice-Chairman of the Council.

**4. Functions of the Council.—[6][(1) The Council shall function as a regional planning body for the**

north-eastern area.

(2) While formulating the regional plans for the north-eastern area, the Council shall give priority to

schemes and projects which will benefit two or more States:

Provided that in case or Sikkim, the Council shall formulate specific projects and schemes for that

State including the review of implementation of such projects and schemes.]

1. 1stAugust, 1972, _vide_ notification No. G.S.R. 359(E), dated 25th July, 1972, _see_ Gazette of India, Extraordinary,
Part II, sec. 3(i).
2. Subs. by Act 69 of 1986, s. 45, for clauses (b) and (c) (w.e.f. 20-2-1987).
3. Subs. by Act 68 of 2002, s. 2, for “Nagaland and Tripura” (w.e.f. 26-6-2003).
4. Subs. by s. 3, ibid., for sub-section (1) (w.e.f. 26-6-2003).
5. Subs. by s. 3, ibid., for sub-section (3) (w.e.f. 26-6-2003).
6. Subs. by s. 4, ibid., for sub-sections (1) and (2) (w.e.f. 26-6-2003).

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(3) The Council shall—

(a) review, from time to time, the implementation of the projects and schemes included in the

regional plan and recommend measures for effecting co-ordination among the Governments of the
States concerned in the matter of implementation of such projects and schemes;

(b) where a project or scheme is intended to benefit two or more States, recommend the manner

in which,—

(i) such project or scheme may be executed or implemented and managed or maintained; or

(ii) the benefits therefrom may be shared; or

(iii) the expenditure thereon may be incurred;

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(d) recommend to the Government of the State concerned or to the Central Government the

undertaking of necessary surveys and investigation of projects in any State represented in the Council
to facilitate consideration of the feasibility of including new projects in the regional plan.

(4) The Council shall review from time to time the measures taken by the States represented in the

Council for the maintenance of security and public order therein and recommend to the Governments of
the States concerned further measures necessary in this regard.

2[(5) The Council shall have such power as may be delegated to it by the Central Government.]

**5. Meetings of the Council.—(1) [3][The Council shall meet at least twice in a year at such times] 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 at its meetings as it may lay
down from time to time.

(2) The Chairman or in his absence the Vice-Chairman, if any, or in the absence of both the Chairman

and the Vice-Chairman, any other member chosen by the members present from amongst themselves,
shall preside at a meeting of the Council.

(3) 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. Nomination of certain officers to attend the meetings of the Council.—In order to assist the**

Council in the discharge of its functions, each of the Ministries of the Central Government dealing with
matters relating to Defence, Finance, Home Affairs [4][Planning and the Department of Development of
North-Eastern Region] shall nominate an officer to attend the meetings of the Council.

**7. Officers and staff of the Council.—(1) The Council shall have a secretarial staff consisting of a**

Secretary, a Planning Adviser, a Financial Adviser and a Security Adviser and such other officers and
employees as the Central Government may, by order, determine.

(2) The secretarial staff of the Council shall function under the direction, supervision and control of

the Chairman of the Council.

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

(4) 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 the moneys provided by Parliament for the purpose.

**8. Repeal.—The North-Eastern Council Act, 1970 (26 of 1970) is hereby repealed.**

1. Clause (c) omitted by Act 68 of 2002, s. 4 (w.e.f. 26-6-2003).
2. Ins. by s. 4, ibid. (w.e.f. 26-6-2003).
3. Subs. by s. 5, ibid., for “The Council shall meet at such times” (w.e.f. 26-6-2003).
4. Subs. by s. 6, ibid., for “and Planning” (w.e.f. 26-6-2003).

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