New Delhi: An amount of Rs.1156 crore has been allocated to North Eastern Council for the year 2018-19. 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. Rs.168.77 crore, of which Rs.76.92 crore to NE States & Sikkim and Rs.91.85 crore to other Agencies, have been released as on July, 2018.
NEC has received funds under the following schemes;
- NEC Schemes – Rs.906.00 crore and
(ii) North East Road Sector Development Scheme – Rs.250.00 crore.
The scheme of NEC – Special Development Project is now changed to be a Central Sector Scheme with 100% grant, instead of the earlier block grant on 90:10 basis.
The NEC Secretariat had included the draft revised Guidelines (as an agenda item) in the 67th Plenary of NEC held in Shillong on the 9th & 10th July, 2018. 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% and Central component-40%). 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); Survey & Investigation and NER Promotion. 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. This is aimed at bringing synergy with programmes of other Union Ministries.
This information was provided by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.
