New Delhi: Union home minister Rajnath Singh has asked all north-eastern states to expedite work on long pending development in the region and directed them to ensure effective implementation of the Rs 4,500 crore financial package which was cleared by the Centre for the Northeast.

The issues were reviewed in detail during a meeting of the North Eastern Council (NEC) chaired by the home minister in Shillong on Monday. Mr Singh asked the states in the region to ensure a better convergence of the government sponsored schemes.

The home minister also stressed on the need for a social audit of the projects and use of modern technology to effectively monitor project implementation.

“Social audit not only provides information on how funds are spent but most crucially it enables people’s participation in the planning of developmental activities and also enables mid-course correction as projects and schemes roll on,” he added.

Mr Singh also appreciated efforts of the NEC to partner with the North Eastern Space Application Centre in developing a “Projects Monitoring” portal and a mobile application where stakeholders can monitor progress of capital works funded by the NEC.

Mr Singh also claimed that security situation in the region had improved considerably.