New Delhi: The Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) ministry saw a 29.43 percent increase in its budgetary allocation for 2015-16, with extra money pumped in for implementation of various schemes of the North Eastern Council (NEC), the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the region.
In the budget presented on Saturday by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, the DoNER allocation was increased from Rs.1,825.45 crore to Rs.2,362.74 crore.
Jaitley emphasised that the reason behind increasing the budget allocation for the northeast region was to bring it within the mainstream and give special priority in terms of development.
As part of the initiative to boost development in the region, Jaitley announced that the government will set up a Centre for Film Production, Animation and Gaming in Arunachal Pradesh, for the northeastern states.
Also a new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-like institution will be set up in Assam.
The government’s allocation for the schemes of the NEC increased by 26 percent in the budget. In the current budget, the government allocated it Rs.140 crore from the Rs.111 crore in the 2014-15 budget.
The government in the 2014-15 budget had allocated Rs.1,825.45 crore to DoNER.
Jaitley, during his 93-minute speech, said special priority was being given to the region’s development.
“The development process includes two visits of the prime minister (Narendra Modi) and launch of important infrastructure projects. The northeastern part of the country will be brought into the mainstream,” Jaitley said. (IANS)
