From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI, Feb 1: The Union Budget gave an extra push to poll-bound Assam in terms of infrastructure, but reduced the allocation from Rs 3,027 crore in 2020 to Rs 2,658 crore this year for the nodal DoNER ministry.
This is a decline of Rs 369 crore compared to last year, official sources said.
There are allocations for the region from other ministries, but a cut in the budget estimate when the government is claiming special focus on the Northeast, has raised many eyebrows.
There is a drastic reduction in the budget estimate of North Eastern Council (NEC) from Rs 606.18 crore for 2020-21 to Rs 384.55 crore in 2021-2022, the sources added.
NEC is likely to find it difficult to take up development projects in the region with this reduced budget, the sources said.
There is an overall increase in allocations from all ministries in this budget for the Northeast. While some ministries are reducing their allocations, others are increasing it to some extent.
All the ministries are supposed to allocate at least 10 per cent from their respective ministries for the region.
Criticising the reduction in allocation, the lone Congress MP from Meghalaya, Vincent H Pala said this was for the third time in recent years that there has been a cut in the Union budget for the DoNER ministry.
“How can the region prosper and develop with the BJP-led government which claims special focus for the region but decreases financial support?” Pala questioned.
When contacted, NPP MP Agatha Sangma however said the massive push to the infrastructure sector, mainly roads and railways in the budget, would ultimately benefit the Northeastern states, including Meghalaya.
The budget also saw the government focus on the poll-bound states with the Union finance minister allocating special funds for road and highway projects in Assam, Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
Presenting the Union Budget, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Assam alone would get over Rs 34,000 crore for road projects across the state.
Informing that road construction work worth Rs 19,000 crore is underway in Assam, she announced that 1,300 kilometres of highway would be constructed in the state in the next three years.
