PM-DevINE projects: DoNER unhappy with slow pace of implementation

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The progress, or rather the lack of it, made in three sanctioned projects of Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE) under the Ministry of DoNER has become a cause for concern, and the implementing agencies came in for some criticism at a recent meeting of the empowered inter-ministerial committee (EIMC) of PM-DevINE.

Three projects worth Rs 240.99 crore were sanctioned under PM-DevINE for central and other agencies of the Northeast region, but the momentum to implement them has been lacking as yet.

As a consequence, implementing agencies North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR), an autonomous society within the central government under the Department of Science & Technology with its headquarters in Shillong, Meghalaya, and B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) of Guwahati came in for reproach and were told to expedite the work.

In a recent meeting of the empowered inter-ministerial committee (EIMC) of PM-DevINE held in New Delhi, the implementation of the projects was discussed in detail, and instructions were issued to NECTAR and BBCI. NECTAR has not been able to award the contracts for the work despite receiving an administrative and financial sanction (AFS) for two projects in February 2023.

One of the projects is the NECTAR Livelihood Improvement Project (Multi-State): - Utilization of Banana Pseudo Stem for Value-Added Products. The project was sanctioned at a cost of Rs. 67 crore, and AFS was issued on February 14, 2023.

In the EIMC meeting, held under the chairmanship of the secretary in the Ministry of DoNER, it was observed that even after a long period after the issue of AFS in February 2023, NECTAR could not finalize the award of contracts. NECTAR was advised to award the contracts expeditiously, accelerate the progress of the project work, and claim funds from the Ministry against the committed liabilities or bills.

The second project is Promoting Scientific Organic Agriculture in North-East (Multi-State) India, which was sanctioned at a cost of Rs. 44.99 crore and AFS issued on February 17, 2023. In this project also, it was observed that even after a long period after the issue of AFS in February 2023, NECTAR could not finalize the award of contracts. NECTAR was advised to award the contracts expeditiously, accelerate the progress of the project work, and claim funds from the Ministry against the committed liabilities or bills.

The third project is the Establishment of Dedicated Services for the Management of Paediatric and Adult Haematolymphoid Cancers in North-East India, at Guwahati. This project, being implemented by BBCI, was sanctioned at a cost of Rs. 129 crore and AFS issued on May 31, 2023.

However, to the credit of BBCI, it was informed in the EIMC meeting that the work was awarded on January 4, 2024.

Also Read: PM-DevINE scheme: Only one project sanctioned for Assam!

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