New Delhi: Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has set up an Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) to ensure speedy implementation of infrastructure development projects and explore ways to boost the economy of the North East.
Minister for Development of Northeastern Region (DONER) Paban Singh Ghatowar said the EGoM, to be headed by Finance Minister P Chidambaram, will suggest measures for effective coordination among various central ministries to implement major infrastructure projects.
“The Prime Minister has appointed the EGoM to address various issues concerning the northeastern region,” Ghatowar told reporters after concluding session of the the 62nd North East Council (NEC) Plenary meeting here.
DoNER Minister said members of the EGoM include Power Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh, Road Transport Minister Oscar Fernandes and Ghatowar.
Ghatowar said a committee of secretaries headed by Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth has also been appointed by the Prime Minister to monitor implementation of various infrastructure projects in the North East.
About the NEC meeting, he said it finalised an annual plan of Rs 770 crore for the financial year 2013-14.
The NEC is a regional planning body under the Ministry of DONER and it will spend the funds on various infrastructure projects and welfare schemes.
The meeting was attended by governors of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura and chief ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura, Sikkim, Manipur and Meghalaya.
Ghatowar said special presentations were made at the NEC plenary meeting on infrastructure development projects by the Ministry of Railways, Road Transport and Highways and Civil Aviation.
Ghatowar said a total of Rs 10,000 crore is lying in the Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) and his ministry will fund infrastructure projects in the northeast with the help of the money.
NLCPR pools unspent funds of various Union ministries which were mandated to spend 10 per cent of their budget allocation for development of northeastern region.
The DONER Ministry allocates funds from the NLCPR to various North East states for infrastructure projects. “We will implement a power transmission project for Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh with an estimated cost of Rs 3,000 crore,” Ghatowar said.
On the power sector, he said Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd has proposed to spend Rs 11,348 crore to strengthen the power distribution and transmission network.
He said a Tourism Master Plan for the region has been prepared and Ministry of Tourism is now working on it. On improving transportation in the region, he said the Planning Commission has approved a number of major projects which include upgrading of a number of airports in the region.
“A study conducted through the Airport Authority of India (AAI) on improvement of air connectivity in the region has been completed,” he said.
On expansion of railway connectivity, he said the Railways has invested Rs 10,503 crore in the last five years to build 244 km of new lines and 738 km of gauge conversions. For the current financial year, the ministry intends to invest Rs 2498 crore to expand its network.
He said NEC meeting has approved a proposal to set up a 498-seater girls’ hostel at a cost of Rs 14.65 crore inside the Jnanabharati Campus of the Bangalore University for students from the North East. He said the NEC meeting has decided to engage third party for evaluation of projects funded by the regional planning body. (PTI)