PM Modi eyes NE with huge development bonanza

By Naga Republic News —

With Assembly Elections slated for 2018 in the four States of Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland to be followed by Sikkim in 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has used his latest visit to the North East by announcing a massive development bonanza for the region.

100% Central funding of Northeast projects through DoNER Ministry

With Assembly Elections slated for 2018 in the four States of Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland to be followed by Sikkim in 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has used his latest visit to the North East by announcing a massive development bonanza for the region.

Very much a calculated move on the part of the BJP to gain politically by doling out major financial sops, it was no coincidence that barely a few hours before taking off from Delhi for his North East tour to Mizoram and Meghalaya, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the continuation of the existing Non Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) scheme.

To enable completion of ongoing projects the NLCPR scheme is a crucial fund for development, especially created for the North East. With funding pattern of 90:10, Cabinet decision on December 15 announced the NLCPR scheme will run till March, 2020 with an outlay of Rs.5300.00 crore.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses people in Shillong after inaugurating a road project in Meghalaya on December 15, 2017

In perhaps the biggest policy decision for the North East since taking office, Prime Minister Modi’s government on December 15 also approved the introduction of new Central Sector Scheme of “North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme” (NESIDS) from 2017-18 with 100% funding from the Central Government to fill up the gaps in creation of infrastructure in specified sectors till March, 2020.

Features of North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS):

 

The new scheme will broadly cover creation of infrastructure under following sectors:-

1. a) Physical infrastructure relating to water supply, power, connectivity and specially the projects promoting tourism;
2. b) Infrastructure of social sectors of education and health.

 

Benefits of NESIDS:

The assets to be created under the new scheme of NESIDS will not only strengthen health care and education facilities in the region but will also encourage tourism thereby the employment opportunities for local youth. The scheme will act as a catalyst in overall development of the region in the years to come.

 

The 100% Central funding of Northeast projects under NESIDS will be done through Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).

While thanking the Prime Minister for this historic decision with far – reaching benefits, the DoNER Minister Dr Jitendra Singh disclosed that in departure from the earlier practice of 90:10 funding of Northeast projects implying 90% funds from Centre and 10% from the respective State, from now onwards, the Union Cabinet has agreed that the entire 100% of the funding will be borne by the Centre.

This will result in a huge relief to the exchequer of the State Government and will also put an end to the frequent requests received from the State Governments about lack of funds for them to contribute their share, the DoNER Minister said. This path-breaking decision, he hoped, will put an end to undue delay in the execution of various development projects in the region and will be a major booster for the eight States of the North-Eastern region.

The new scheme under the name “North-East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme” (NESIDS), according to Dr Jitendra Singh, is being introduced from the year 2017-18, thus restructuring the existing DoNER Scheme of “Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources” (NLCPR).

The Prime Minister meanwhile, speaking during the ceremony to dedicate the Tuirial Hydro Electric Power Project in Aizawl, Mizoram has disclosed that “despite fiscal constraints, the sharing pattern of core centrally sponsored schemes for North Eastern States has been continued at 90-10”. For other schemes, it stands at 80-20.

Modi also spoke about the lack of connectivity describing it as the “biggest hurdles in the path of development of the North Eastern Region”. “We aim for a Transformation by Transportation through investment in infrastructure in the region”, he said and informing that the Union Government has sanctioned over 3800 kilometers of National Highway with an investment of Rupees 32000 crore during last three years, out of which nearly 1200 kilometers of road has already been constructed.

The Union Government will be investing another Rupees 60,000 crore under Special Accelerated Road Development Programme in the North-East and Rs. 30,000 crore under Bharatmala in the next two to three years to build a network of high-ways and roads in the North East Region, Modi announced.

The Prime Minister also said that the Government of India is executing 15 New Rail Line projects of 1385 kilometers length, at a cost of over Rs.47,000 crore. “We are committed to bring all the State Capitals of North East Region on the Rail map”.

Modi also said, “My Government is investing close to Rupees10,000 crores for a comprehensive improvement in the power transmission system in the North Eastern States.
PM Modi’s ‘development blitz’ ahead of the assembly elections next year will not go unnoticed by the Congress, especially after it lost Manipur in March this year despite winning the most number of seats but short of majority in the 60-member assembly. The BJP, which won 21 seats, formed a coalition government in the eleventh hour with state parties.

Meghalaya BJP chief Shibun Lyngdoh told news agency IANS that PM Modi’s campaign in the state will definitely boost the party’s prospects. The Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance government has been in power for two consecutive terms.

There are eight states in the north-east — Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. After taking Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, the BJP is looking to score victories in Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland, where assembly elections will be held next year. The latest financial sops and funding policy favourable to the States in the North East is sure to help the BJP politically.

With inputs from Agencies