STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Assam has the dubious distinction of defaulting in the submission of UCs (utilization certificates) for various Central Government schemes. Of late, there have been reports of some of the State Government’s departments and agencies not submitting UCs for the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS).
For sanctioned schemes under NESIDS, the departments and agencies implementing schemes in Assam have to submit UCs to the Ministry of DoNER (Development of the North Eastern Region) through its Transformation and Development.
According to a report from the Ministry of DoNER, as of mid-March 2023, the Ministry had not received UCs for 25 schemes under NESIDS from Assam. The ministry partially received the UCs for only five schemes. Generally, the union ministries release the subsequent installments of schemes after receiving UCs for the previous installments.
According to a report of the Ministry of DoNER, some of the 25 schemes against which the Ministry did not receive UCs as of mid-March 2023 are: (i) Water Supply Projects in Tinsukia Town (Phase III) during 2018-19 with an approved cost of Rs 27.20 crore; (ii) the Rs 41.69 crore Digboi Town Water Supply Scheme in 2019-20; (iii) the Rs 2.23 crore scheme for the construction and renovation of Panbazar Higher Secondary School, Guwahati, in 2019-20; (iv) the Rs 2.23 crore scheme for the construction and renovation of Kamrup Academy High School, Guwahati, in 2019-20; (v) the Rs 2.12 crore scheme for the construction of a girls’ hostel at Jorhat Government Girls’ High School and Multipurpose School in 2019-20, (vi) the Rs 2.23 crore scheme for the construction and renovation of Tarini Charan Government High School and MP School, Guwahati, in 2019-20, (vii) the Rs 2.23-crore scheme for the construction and renovation of Sonaram HS School, Guwahati in 2019-20; (viii) the Rs 1.73-crore scheme for the construction and renovation of Dhubri Government Boys’ HS School, Dhubri in 2021-22; (ix) the Rs 30.54-crore scheme for the construction of 2X50 MVA, 132/33 KV GIS (Gas Insulated Substation) at 220/132 KV Amingaon GIS, (x) the Rs 21.15 crore scheme for the widening and strengthening of Nalbari Palla Road from Solmara to Bangaon Jagra Road via Billeswar Devalaya in 2021-22, etc.
In all, 145 projects have been approved or sanctioned for a total cost of Rs. 3392.98 crore in the Northeast under the NESIDS since its inception, i.e., with effect from 2017-18 to 2022-23 (as of February 9, 2023). The projects sanctioned under NESIDS during the last five years are at various stages of implementation. The Government of India approved the NESIDS as a new Central Sector Scheme on December 15, 2017. Under the scheme guidelines of NESIDS, 100 per cent central funding is provided to the state governments of the north-eastern region for projects of physical infrastructure relating to water supply, power, and connectivity enhancing tourism, and social infrastructure relating to primary and secondary sectors of education and health.
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