New Delhi: As part of the Union Budget 2022, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman told parliament that her government has put together a Rs 1,500 crore scheme specially meant to “enable livelihood activities for youth and women” in the eight northeastern states. The scheme will be called Prime Minister Development Initiative for the North East (PM-DevINE).
Stating in her budget speech that the scheme “is not a substitute for existing Central or state schemes”, the finance minister said, “The new scheme will be implemented through North Eastern Council [a statutory body under the DoNER (Development of North Eastern Region) ministry].”
“It will fund infrastructure, in the spirit of PM Gati Shakti, and social development projects based on felt needs of the Northeast. This will enable livelihood activities for youth and women, filling the gaps in various sectors,” Sitharaman said.
She said, “While the Central ministries may also pose their candidate projects, priority will be given to those posed by the states. An initial allocation of Rs 1,500 crore will be made.”
Seven projects have been identified for the scheme, including two in Mizoram that would cover a majority of the allocated funds. While Rs 500 crore has been allocated for the construction of a bypass in Aizawl, Rs 100 crore has been set aside for a pilot project to construct a ‘bamboo link road’ at different locations in various districts of the state.
With Rs 600 of the Rs 1,500 crore fund allocated for projects in Mizoram are part of the BJP’s efforts to make electoral inroads in the state. Though the party is in a coalition government with the Mizo National Front, in the last assembly elections, the BJP failed to make much headway in the Christian majority state.
Of the remaining amount, Rs 64 crore has been allocated for the passenger ropeway system from Pelling to Sanga-Choeling in West Sikkim, Rs 58 crore to fund a ropeway from Dhapper to Bhaleydhunga in South Sikkim. In Sikkim too, the BJP couldn’t play an influential role in the last assembly polls. It had to increase its tally to become the leading opposition by bringing in MLAs from the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF).
While Rs 537 crore has been kept for yet to be identified projects, the remaining amount of the Rs 1500 crore scheme has been distributed among all the northeastern states. Two such multi-state projects are the establishment of “dedicated services for the Management of Pediatric and Adult Haemotolymphoid Cancers in North East India, Guwahati” and “NECTAR Livelihood Improvement” project.