Rs 1 lakh crore for Northeast by 55 ministries in 2024–25

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: It is mandatory for 55 non-exempted ministries and departments of the Government of India to spend at least 10% of their gross budgetary allocation every year for the Northeast region. For the current financial year of 2024–25, the 55 ministries and departments have estimated a budget outlay of Rs 100893.20 crore for the NE region.

At least 10% of the gross budgetary allocation for the 55 non-exempted ministries and departments of the Government of India has to be spent on central sector and centrally sponsored schemes for the region, and the expenditure is monitored by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).

A report by DoNER revealed that an actual expenditure of Rs 2,56,314 crore was made by the relevant ministries and departments of the Government of India for the NE region in the past three financial years (FYs). According to the report, in FY 2020–21, the revised estimate of the 55 ministries and departments for the NE was Rs 68,440 crore, while the actual expenditure was Rs 70,874 crore; in 2022–23, the revised estimate was Rs 72,540 crore, and the actual expenditure was Rs 82,691 crore; in 2023–24, the revised estimate was Rs 91,802 crore, and the actual expenditure was Rs 1,02,749 crore.

Meanwhile, another report by DoNER states the revised estimate and actual expenditure for FY 2019–20, which were Rs 53,374 crore and Rs 48,534 crore, respectively. Similarly, for FY 2020–21, the figures were Rs 51,271 crore and Rs 48,564 crore, respectively. The report further states that during the last 10 FYs (i.e., 2014–15 to 2023–24), a total expenditure of Rs 5.22 lakh crore was incurred by the ministries and departments concerned for the NE region, against the total allocation of Rs 5.15 lakh crore.

In October 1996, the central government announced “New Initiatives for the North Eastern Region,” outlining a number of measures for its development. One of these was the policy decision to earmark at least 10% of Plan Budgets of the central ministries and departments for the development of NE states every year.

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