#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. 



#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, 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.] 

[^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). 

(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; 

[^1]* 

  (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).