New Delhi has released second highest central funds to Arunachal Pradesh after Jammu & Kashmir under the border area development project (BADP).
Official statistics in possession of this correspondent said that a total of Rs 1,100 crore central funds have been released to all the 17 states that share its border with foreign countries during 2017-18.
Arunachal Pradesh has received a sum of Rs 154.14 crore during 2017-18 whereas Jammu & Kashmir has received a sum of Rs 198.89 crore.
Assam has received Rs 56.00 crore during the same period.
The Centre is implementing the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) through the state governments, in 396 border blocks of 111 border districts in 17 states including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab,Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
“It (BADP) was a major intervention to meet the developmental needs, and well being of the people living near the international border,” official in the home ministry said.
The programme was a 100 per cent centrally-sponsored gap filling programme till 2015-16.
However, from 2016-17, on the recommendations of the sub-group of Chief Ministers, it has been classified as a core Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) and is now part of the National Development Agenda.
The funding pattern of BADP (like other core CSSs), in respect of 8 northeastern states (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura) and 3 Himalayan states (Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand) is in the ratio 90:10 (Centre share: state share) and in respect of 6 other states (Bihar, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal) is in the ratio 60:40.
“The new funding pattern has been implemented from the financial year 2016-17,” the official said.