Budget 2013: Rs 2,030 crore given for development of North East region

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region was today given an allocation of Rs 2,030 crore in the Union Budget, which is an increase of Rs 101 crore as against last year's outlay of Rs 1,929 crore.

The fund, an increase of around 5 per cent, has been given to the DoNER Ministry to implement various developmental schemes in the eight states of the region.

Though the Ministry was allocated Rs 1929 crore in 2012-13, it could only spend Rs 1,750 crore which has been reflected in the revised estimate for the year.

Of the total outlay for 2013-14, Finance Minister P Chidambaram made an allocation of Rs 713 crore to the North Eastern Council, the regional planning body, to carry out various schemes.

A separate allocation of Rs 948 crore has been made under grants from Central Pool of Resources for the region.

In the 2013-14 Budget, Chidambaram earmarked Rs 60 crore as special package for developmental projects in Bodoland Territorial Council in lower Assam.

A fund of Rs 45 crore has also been set aside for North Eastern States Road Investment Programme, while an amount of Rs 60 crore has been earmarked as loan to North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd which was set up to support infrastructure projects in the region.