STATE TIMES NEWS
NEW DELHI: A total of Rs.53,705 Cr has been allocated for the North-Eastern Region in the current financial year which includes 10 per cent of Gross Budgetary Allocation for the Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER) and Rs.17,898 Cr to be provided to the States as Special Plan Assistance (SPA), Special Central Assistance (SCA), Normal Central Assistance (NCA) or Additional Central Assistance (ACA) in addition to money being spent by railways.
This was disclosed here by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh at a meeting of all the North-East MPs convened by him in the Parliament House Annexe. Union MoS Sports and Youth Affairs, Sarbananda Sonowal, who also hails from North-East, attended the meeting while another Union Minister of State from North-East Kiren Rijiju conveyed his regrets because of being out of station.
On behalf of the North East MPs, Chairman North East MPs Forum and former Lok Sabha Speaker, P.A Sangma handed over a memorandum to Minister DoNER Dr Jitendra Singh.
In keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special thrust on development of North-East Region and his announcement during recent visit to North-East to promote sports among the youth of the region, a National Sports University will be set up in Manipur for which , Dr Jitendra Singh said, the government has provided Rs.100 Cr for the project and the National Sports University Bill is planned to be introduced in Parliament along with the Draft Bill received from Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Another 100 cr is to be provided for organic farming in the region, he added.
In order to improve the internet and mobile connectivity, Singh said a comprehensive telecom development plan for North-East Region has been sanctioned at a cost of Rs.5,336.18 Cr to provide 2G coverage in identified uncovered areas of North-East Region and to provide mobile coverage along the national highways.
For the purpose of expanding the road infrastructure in the region, Singh informed that a new scheme called North-East Road Development Corporation (NERDC) has been initiated with an allocation of Rs.200 Cr for the current year. Asian Development Bank (ADB) assisted the North-East States Roads Investment Programme, is also being implemented in the six States of Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura, he added. To promote cultural tourism and local crafts, North Eastern Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation (NEHHDC) is being given a special impetus and a special thrust is being given to scenic beauty of the eight States to attract tourists from across the country and abroad. With this in mind, he has also suggested that the DoNER calendar for 2015 will portray the various local cultural festivals of the North-East.
Singh assured the MPs that his role as DoNER Minister will be that of coordinator and facilitator to accomplish the Prime Minister’s objective of ensuring equitable development of North-East. He also requested the MPs to act as coordinators with the Chief Ministers of their respective states and to help in timely contribution of the state sharing funds so that the projects do not get unduly delayed.
