The Ministry for Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER) has initiated a strategy to bring a synergy with programmes of other Union Ministries for the development of northeastern states. A mechanism on the pattern of Standing Finance Committee with representatives from the concerned line Ministries and Ministry of DoNER would be constituted under the chairmanship of secretary, NEC for approval of the projects costing between Rs 5-15 crore, DoNER Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said in the Parliament on Thursday.
“This is aimed at bringing synergy with programmes of other Union Ministries,” the DoNER Minister added.
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Meanwhile, DoNER Ministry has released a sum of Rs 168.77 crore for different projects related works in the northeastern states as on July this year.
Informing this, Singh said the disbursement of funds by the North Eastern Council (NEC) is made project-wise on the basis of progress of the implementation of the projects and receipt of Utilization Certificates.
“A sum of Rs 168.77 crore, of which Rs 76.92 crore to eight NE states and Rs 91.85 crore to other agencies, have been released as on July,” Singh said.
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Significantly, DoNER has released Rs 906.00 crore to NED under NEC schemes and Rs 250.00 crore under North East Road Sector Development Scheme.
The scheme of NEC – Special Development Project is now changed to a Central Sector Scheme with 100 percent grant, instead of the earlier block grant on 90:10 basis.
Singh said that the NEC secretariat had included the draft revised guidelines (as an agenda item) in the 67th plenary of NEC held in Shillong in July.
The guidelines provide, inter alia, that the projects having regional character, requiring Inter-Ministerial intervention be taken up and total funds available to NEC would be bifurcated in two components (State component-60 percent and Central component-40 percent).
The priority sectors have been identified as bamboo; piggery; regional tourism; higher education, tertiary healthcare & special intervention in backward areas; livelihood project; science & technology interventions in North Eastern Region (NER) and survey & investigation and NER promotion.