KASHIRAM RANA INAUGURATED REVIEW
MEETING OF NORTH-EASTERN STATES
SUBSIDY
TO NORTH-EASTERN STATES FOR TRANSPORTATION OF FOODGRAINS UNDER
SGRY
Shri Kashiram Rana,
Union Minister for Rural Development urged State Governments of
North Eastern Region for effective and result oriented implementation
of rural development programmes in the Region. Inaugurating Review
Meeting of the North-Eastern States in Gangtok today, Shri Rana
said the Government of India allocates 10% of the budgetary support
under different development Ministries to this Region. Accordingly,
Rural Development Ministry has also been allocating 10% of its
budget allocation to the North Eastern Region for implementation
of various Rural Development Schemes. During 2002-03, the Ministry
allocated Rs.881.09 crore to the North Eastern Region as a whole
under various programmes (except PMGSY) but the NE States could
take only Rs.787.65 crore. In the current year, development has
allocated Rs.929.56 crore under different major progrmmes (except
PMGSY) but the Region so far has taken only Rs.201.25 crore, which
is only 21.65% of the Central allocation to the Region.
Shri Rana indicated
that serious problem being faced by the North Eastern States is
the inability to mobilize matching State share to the Central
releases. Therefore, there is a demand to change the funding pattern
under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes to 90:10 from the existing
75:25. Rural Development Ministry has been advocating and supporting
this change. Shri Rana expressed hope that a favorable decision
would come from the Planning Commission.
Considering the major
problem in the implementation of Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana
(SGRY) for transportation of foodgrains in the region, Shri Rana
announced that the Ministry has taken a decision to grant Transportation
Subsidy to all NE States, henceforth.
Shri Rana further
informed that the Ministry is willing to support alternate mechanisms
for the delivery of credit to the Swaranjayanti Gram Swarojgar
Yojana (SGSY) beneficiaries by involving traditional bodies in
the North Eastern States. A pilot project to deliver credit through
Village Development Boards (VDBs) in Nagaland is being taken up
with the support of SBI, NABARD and the Government of Nagaland.
The Ministry has also been financing Special Projects under SGSY
in the Region for creation of self employment opportunities on
a cluster basis. The experience of Assam in this regard has been
satisfactory. Shri Rana called upon North-Eastern States to come
up with innovative and viable Special Projects to exploit the
potential of the Region for generation of self-employment opportunities.
Responding over the
demand for strengthening of infrastructure in DRDAs of the North-Eastern
Region, Shri Rana announced that it has been decided to support
the construction of DRDA buildings, wherever needed, and purchase
of one vehicle and computers for new DRDAs.
