Staff Reporter
Guwahati: Utilization of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) funds is finally picking up momentum after poor utilization of such funds in the financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24. In the financial year 2024-25, which concluded on March 31, 2025, DoNER has achieved a fund utilization of 86.06%.
According to a statement of utilization of Ministry of DoNER funds in 2024-25, the revised budget estimates for the fiscal year were Rs 4006 crore. Of this, DoNER spent an amount of Rs 3447.71 crore, bringing the rate of utilization to 86.06%. Against the PM-DeVINE scheme, the revised estimates were Rs 1394 crore, of which the DoNER incurred an expenditure of Rs 1014.88 crore. Thus, the rate of utilization of PM-DeVINE scheme funds came to 72.80%. As for funds for NESIDS, the revised estimates were Rs 1500 crore, of which DoNER spent Rs 1462.39 crore, which brought the rate of utilization to 97.49%. Regarding the Special Development Packages, the revised estimates were Rs 202 crore, out of which DoNER spent Rs 132.47 crore. This brought the rate of utilization to 65.58%.
Against the funds for the North Eastern Council (NEC), the revised estimates were Rs 800 crore for the financial year of 2024-25. Out of this fund, the expenditure incurred was Rs 736.80 crore, which brought the rate of utilization to 92.10%.
On the other hand, during the financial year 2023-24, the revised budget estimate for DoNER was Rs 5892 crore. Of this total, the expenditure incurred was only Rs 1976.76 crore, with a rate of utilization of 33.55%, almost one-third of the total revised budget estimate.
Similarly, the utilization of DoNER funds was comparatively poor in the financial year of 2022-23. That fiscal year, the revised budget estimate was Rs 2755.05 crore, and the expenditure incurred was only Rs 1113.71 crore. Thus, the rate of utilization works out to 40.42%.
An analysis of the fund utilization in the financial years mentioned above brings to fore the fact that the rate of utilization of DoNER funds has seen a quantum leap from 40.42% in 2022-23 and 33.55% in 2023-24, to 86.06% in 2024-25.
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