Budget : NE's share crosses Rs 30,000 cr mark
Source: The Sangai Express

Guwahati, March 01 2016: The North East's budgetary allocations proposed by different Ministries and departments for the first time crossed the Rs 30,000-crore mark with a Rs 3,427 crore increase in Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's budget for 2016-17 presented in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

Jaitley has also restored the 90:10 funding pattern for all core schemes of the National Development Agenda in the region, an issue which all the Chief Ministers of the region have been complaining about for last one year.

An 80:20 funding pattern will be applicable for the optional schemes, which includes border area development programme, National River Conservation Plan and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee RURBAN Mission.

The allocations by the Ministries for the region has been hovering around the 29,000-crore mark for the last two fiscals, with Rs 29,087.93 crore allocation in 2014-15, Rs 29,669.22 crore in 2015-16.For the coming fiscal, Jaitley has proposed Rs 33,097.02 crore allocation from all the Ministries and departments.

But it's a big disappointment for Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) having huge implications in the poll-bound Assam, which has been allocated Rs 100 crore as a special package under the Central assistance plan head and another Rs 50 crore as grant for creation of capital assets in contrast to Bodoland People's Front (BPF) demand for Rs 1000 crore, while striking the pre-poll alliance with BJP.

The budget has provided strong support to the social, education and rural sectors and building roads and bridges in the region.

For social security and welfare, out of the total outlay of Rs 9,500 crore for National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), Rs 950 crore has been earmarked for the region.

For development programme, the region has been allocated Rs 98 crore out of the total plan outlay of Rs 1,000 crore.

To boost agro textile, particularly usage of geo textile, the budget has provided an NER Textiles Promotion Scheme with a budgetary support of Rs 255.98 crore.

Out of the total outlay of Rs 19,000 crore for roads and bridges, Rs 1,398 crore has been earmarked for the region.

Under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan , an outlay of Rs 22,200 crore has been provided, which includes Rs 2,200 crore for the region.

In the secondary education sector, an allocation of Rs 653 crore has been made for the region, while the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan Scheme has been approved with a provision of Rs 350 crore for the region.

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