DONER TO SPEND 500 CRORES IN NORTH EAST

Doner set to spend Rs 500cr on new projects in N-E states


13 Jun 2009, 2234 hrs IST, TNN

JORHAT: The Union Doner ministry has sought various proposals for projects and schemes from all eight north-eastern states, including Sikkim, in
order to spend Rs 500 crore that the ministry presently has at its disposal.
The amount of Rs 500 crore was sanctioned to the ministry early this year by the previous UPA government under "Special Dispensation Scheme".

Giving this information, Union Doner & mines minister BK Handique said his ministry (Doner) had already called for proposals of projects from all the N-E states according to their needs. The ministry was also preparing "region specific" plans for entire region.

"I am lucky to have funds just from the very beginning of my tenure as minister for Doner and the states should come forward to with their proposals," Handique said.

The Union Doner ministry had looked into the estimates of some of the proposals submitted by few states before the polls and some among them were already finalized. Green signal had also been given to few such plans for preparing detailed project reports, the minister said.

He said there was a formula in practice for proportionate distribution of funds among the eight states based on the size of population, geographical area and remoteness. Handique has convened a meeting of chief ministers of all North-eastern states in Shillong on June 25 to know their problems. He said his thrust would be on connecting the N-E region with rest of the country and also on proper road connectivity among the N-E states.

Handique said he would urge the Union home ministry to undertake special security measures to ensure early completion broad-gauge conversion work in Cachar and NC Hills given their been slow progress due to militancy.
“The Assam government had taken up the matter with the Centre and there had been "some results achieved" with both state and the Centre taking tough steps towards militancy,” he said.