Lok Sabha Debates
Regarding Budgetary Allocation Of The Central Government Ministries And ... on 24 March, 2021
Seventeenth Loksabha > Title: Regarding budgetary allocation of the Central Government Ministries and Departments for the North-Eastern region of India.
DR. R.K. RANJAN (INNER MANIPUR): Hon. Chairperson, Sir, I thank you for giving me an opportunity to raise a matter of urgent public importance.
Sir, through you, I would like to draw the attention of the hon. Finance Minister, Shrimati Nirmala Sitharamanji, to the financial allocation of the Central Government Ministries and Departments for the North-Eastern region of India.
During the first NDA Government led by swargiya Vajpayeeji, it was decided that 10 per cent of the budget of each and every Ministry and Department should be earmarked for the North-Eastern region. The idea behind this policy was that this region is lagging far behind compared to other parts of the country. For faster development of the region, this policy was adopted and the Ministry of DoNER was also created.
Some Ministries and Departments are still trying to spend 10 per cent of their budgetary allocation in the North-Eastern region. This is really encouraging for us. However, most of the Central Government Ministries and Departments are not following the policy due to many constraints and practical difficulties. We can understand the practical difficulties of Ministries like Defence, External Affairs, Railways, Finance, Agriculture, Rural Development etc. We really do not know whether these days the Non-lapsable Pool for the unspent North-Eastern Fund still exists or not. My humble request is that the unspent fund of the Ministries and Departments meant for North-Eastern region may be handed over to the Ministry of DoNER for spending in the development projects of the region. Notionally, this unspent amount is estimated to be around Rs. 70,000 crore by now.
That is why, I would like to urge upon the hon. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji and Finance Minister Shrimati Nirmala Sitharamanji to revise the policy and formulate a new one which is more practical and implementable.
Thank you. Jai Hind.