GUWAHATI: The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of the schemes of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), with an outlay of Rs 12882.2 crore, for the balance period of the 15th Finance Commission (2022-23 to 2025-26).
Based on the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) recommendations, the outlay for the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS) has been fixed at Rs 8139.5 crore, including committed liabilities of ongoing projects.
The outlay for ‘Schemes of NEC (North Eastern Council)’ will be Rs 3202.7 crore, including committed liabilities of ongoing projects.
The outlay for special packages for Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), Dima Hasao Autonomous Territorial Council (DHATC), and Karbi Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council (KAATC) in Assam, is Rs.1540 crore, including for committed liabilities of ongoing projects.
NESIDS, a central sector scheme with 100 per cent central funding, has been restructured into two components – NESIDS (Roads) and NESIDS (Other than Road Infrastructure).
The Ministry’s new scheme ‘Prime Minister’s Development initiative for the northeastern region – PM-Devine’ (with an outlay of Rs 6,600 crores), was approved in October 2022 separately, under which larger and high-impact proposals for infrastructure, social development and livelihood sectors are taken.
“The objectives of the schemes of the DoNER ministry is to supplement the efforts of the different central ministries and departments on one hand and the felt needs of the Northeastern states on the other, for uncovered development/welfare activities,” an official statement issued on Thursday said.
The schemes help provide gap-bridging support to the eight Northeastern states as per their felt needs, by taking up projects such as those for developing infrastructure to mitigate connectivity and social sector deficits and enhancing livelihood and employment opportunities in the region.
“Extension of the approved schemes for the balance of the 15th Finance Commission period (upto the financial year 2025-26), will enable better planning for implementation of the schemes in terms of project selection, front loading of sanction of the projects, and project implementation during the scheme period,” the statement said.
“Efforts will be made to complete the maximum number of the projects by 2025-26 so that there are minimum committed liabilities beyond this year,” it said.
Therefore, schemes would have new sanctions in 2022-23 and 2023-24 primarily; while expenditure will continue to be incurred during 2024-25 and 2025-26.
The central government has made the development of the Northeast a major priority in the past eight years.
“The actual expenditure in the past four years under DoNER ministry schemes was Rs 7534.46 crore whereas, the fund available for expenditure in next four years till 2025-26 is Rs 19482.20 crore,” the statement said.
Massive efforts have been undertaken for infrastructure development in the region.
“For improving railway connectivity, Rs 51,019 crore has been spent since 2014. Nineteen new projects, worth Rs. 77,930 crores, have been sanctioned,” it said.
In comparison to the average annual budget allocation of Rs 2,122 crore during 2009-14, in the past eight years, there has been a 370 per cent increase in average annual budget allocation totalling Rs 9,970 crore.
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For improving road connectivity, 375 projects worth Rs 1.05 lakh crore are underway. In the next three years, 9,476 km of roads will be laid under 209 projects, for which the central government is spending Rs 1,06,004 crore.
Air connectivity has also improved massively with air traffic movement in the Northeast increasing by 113 per cent since 2014 (year-on-year).
“An amount of Rs 2,000 crore will be invested in civil aviation in the Northeast, which will further boost civil aviation in the region,” it said.
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