Ashta Lakshmi: North East on the path of progress

BL Verma (The writer is a Union Minister of State, DoNER and Cooperation)

Eight States of the North Eastern Region (NER) known as Ashtalakshmi today is more peaceful than ever. Insurgency, law-and-order problems, including extraction, are the things of the past. A lot of credit goes to the current regime that has built up infrastructure and capacity building in the region. The government has taken several initiatives for the development of physical and social infrastructure in order to improve connectivity and socio-economic development of the region. Some of the major ongoing infrastructure projects in NER include capital road connectivity, capital rail connectivity, air connectivity, power, telecom, petroleum and natural gas etc. Under Act East Policy, the main priority is to enhance connectivity between North Eastern Region and the neighbouring countries viz. Myanmar, Bangladesh, etc. Three important international projects are Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project, India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highways and the Agartala-Akhaura Rail link (Bangladesh side). Most of these infrastructure projects are to be completed by 2023-24, which will give further impetus to the development paradigm in NER. Under 10% Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) for the development of the North Eastern Region, there has been a substantial increase in resources allocated over the years from Rs 27,359 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 51,270 crore in 2020-21. The percentage of actual expenditure to RE is 94.72% during 2020-21. In the current financial year 2021-22, allocation under 10% GBS for the development of NER is to the tune of Rs 68,020 crore.

Ministry of DoNER through its flagship scheme North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS) undertaking pragmatic intervention in filling the gaps in specified sectors of physical infrastructure relating to water supply, power and connectivity to enhance tourism and also for the creation of infrastructure in the social sector especially in the areas of primary and secondary sectors of education and health. Under NESIDS, 99 projects worth Rs 2452.62 crore have already been sanctioned up to 31.03.2021. Under NLCPR-State Scheme since inception, 1635 projects worth Rs 16233.78 crore were sanctioned to the different NER States, out of which 1195 projects costing Rs 9433.29 crore have been completed in sectors such as road and bridges, power, water supply and sewage, health, education etc. North Eastern Council (NEC) under its scheme has been implementing projects in sectors such as transport and communication, power, human resource development and employment, irrigation and flood control etc. Presently, NEC undertakes projects in various sectors like bamboo, piggery, regional tourism, education, tertiary healthcare including health education and special intervention in backward areas, livelihood projects, science and technology interventions in NER, etc. under its scheme. Under the Schemes of NEC 650 projects worth Rs 4227.88 crore were sanctioned and 752 projects worth Rs 4809.66 crore were completed during the last five years. Under North East Road Sector Development Scheme (NERSDS), NEC undertakes the upgradation of important and strategic inter-state roads. Twenty-four projects costing Rs 1566.75 crore were taken up; three costing Rs.87.86 crore completed, twenty-one costing Rs 1478.89 crore ongoing under NERSDS.

Recently the Government has approved the National Mission for Edible Oils/ Oil Palm with comprehensive coverage of the Northeast. The Government has approved the revival package of North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC) of Rs 77.45 crore. The revival package will help in bringing out the remunerative price to the farmers of NER, providing better farming facilities, training to farmers in clusters, organic seeds and fertilizer, post-harvesting facilities in order to promote products of Northeast farmers in the global market through participation in events, registration of GI products, promoting FPOs, etc.

As regards tourism in NER, there is immense potential as NER is unique in terms of natural beauty and tourism resources. This region offers great scope for Eco-Tourism, Wildlife, Mountaineering, Trekking, Adventure, Tea Tourism, Cultural and ethnic tourism, Religious, Regional tourism, Golf and a host of others. This region is home to many wildlife sanctuaries like Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park in Assam and Khangchendzonga in Sikkim. The government is taking various initiatives for the promotion of tourism in the region. The ongoing Central Ministry projects in the areas of capital connectivity relating to air, rail, road, telecom improving mobile connectivity and major power projects, which are at different stages of completion, once completed, would give further impetus to the tourism sector in NER.

On 26th August 2021, MDoNER in partnership with NITI Aayog and in technical support of UNDP-India has prepared the first-ever District Level SDG Index and Dashboard for 8 North Eastern States. The index and the dashboard have features of state-wise, district-wise and SDG-wise comparability. Based on the availability of data, the index was prepared for 103 districts out of 120 districts of NE States. The top district in the rank was East Sikkim of Sikkim with a score of 75.87 and the lowest score was Kiphire, Nagaland (53.00). This index is a unique policy tool that has immense potential to measure district-level progress, highlight critical gaps, and help in resource allocation. This can be used as a tool for planning future development.

Today, the stage seems set for a higher growth trajectory for the entire NER. The Government is committed to bringing the NER States at par with other developed states of India by a special focus on them for their complete transformation.