Guwahati, 12 February (HS): NITI Aayog, in collaboration with the Transformation and Development Department, Government of Assam, organized a North-Eastern Region workshop on enhancing Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) outcomes at the district level under the State Support Mission (SSM) at the Assam Administrative Staff College in Guwahati on Thursday.

The inaugural session was attended by Assam Transport and Bodoland Welfare Minister Charan Boro as chief guest, Dr. VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, Narayan Chandra Borkataky, Vice-Chairman, SITA, Dr. Ravi Kota, Chief Secretary of Assam, Satinder Bhalla, Secretary, North Eastern Council (NEC), Rajib Sen, Programme Director (SDGs), NITI Aayog, Dr. Angela Lusigi, Resident Representative, UNDP, Dilip Kumar Bora, Secretary, Transformation and Development Department, and P. Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy, CEO, SITA, among others.

Addressing the gathering, Minister Charan Boro said that while the SDGs are global in nature, their real success is measured locally and must be reflected in villages, towns, schools, and homes. He highlighted Assam’s progress from an aspirant to a front-runner in the SDG India Index under the leadership of Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Delivering a special address, Dr. VK Paul acknowledged the role of UNDP and stressed that India would shine if SDGs remain a priority. He underlined the need to identify existing gaps and formulate clear, actionable plans to address them.

Narayan Chandra Borkataky commended NITI Aayog for strengthening cooperative federalism and supporting states in achieving SDG targets. Chief Secretary Dr. Ravi Kota spoke about key initiatives undertaken since 2016, particularly during his tenure in the Finance Department, which aligned with SDG objectives and laid the foundation for inclusive growth. He urged North Eastern states to assess their current standing, identify gaps, and work in a coordinated manner to accelerate progress.

Satinder Bhalla reaffirmed the North Eastern Council’s commitment to regional development and its willingness to partner in advancing inclusive and sustainable growth. Dr. Angela Lusigi noted that the North East is setting benchmarks in SDG implementation and emphasized the importance of robust data systems, effective localization of SDGs, and efficient delivery mechanisms.

The inaugural session began with welcome remarks and context-setting by Rajib Sen, Programme Director (SDGs), NITI Aayog and was followed by technical sessions.

The workshop aims to present a comprehensive picture of SDG performance across districts in the North Eastern Region and encourage district administrations to translate findings into time-bound action plans. It promotes a “Zoom-In Effect” approach, enabling District Collectors to identify gaps through the NER Index and further narrow them down using the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) to specific blocks or Gram Panchayats for targeted administrative intervention.

To strengthen financial alignment with SDG targets, the workshop also introduced a “Step-by-Step Guide for SDG Budget Tagging,” developed in collaboration with UNDP. The initiative seeks to ensure that state and district budgets are directly linked to SDG priorities.

The workshop brought together Chief Secretaries, Planning Secretaries and District Collectors from North Eastern states, along with representatives from NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), Ministry of Panchayati Raj, UNDP, and GIZ. The programme aims to institutionalize a renewed administrative culture through technical support under the State Support Mission and the SDG Coordination and Action Centres (SDGCAC).-------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash