STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Only one project under the Prime Minister's Development Initiative for the North East Region (PM-DevINE) scheme got sanction in Assam, despite the announcement of the Central Sector scheme in the 2022-23 Union Budget.
According to the PM-DevINE timeframe, the completion schedule of projects under this scheme is 2025-26. With only one project getting sanctioned and many projects awaiting sanction, the completion schedule of 2025-26 is in question.
The only project that got sanction under PM-DevINE from the Union Ministry of DoNER is 'Transformation of 20 Schools as Centres of Excellence' in Kamrup District, with an approved cost of Rs 132.86 crore. The State PWD will execute the project, and the processing for tendering is underway.
The Ministry of DoNER listed a few more projects under PM-DevINE from Assam. The projects are: (i) Establishment of Dedicated Services for the Management of Paediatric and Adult Haematolymphoid Cancers in North East India, Guwahati, with an approved cost of Rs 129 crore; (ii) NECTAR Livelihood Improvement Project (Multi-State): Utilisation of Banana Pseudo Stem for Value-Added Products (at four locations in Assam) with an approved cost of Rs 67 crore for 12 locations in seven Northeastern states; and (iii) promoting scientific Organic Agriculture in North-East India (Multi-State), including Assam, Meghalaya, and Tripura, with an approved cost of Rs 45 crore. These projects relating to Assam are yet to get sanction despite their mention in the Union Budget of 2022-23.
Apart from these three projects, the Assam Government has submitted proposals for various projects amounting to around Rs 3,500 crore to the DoNER. The State Government is waiting for the sanction of all these projects.
PM-DevINE was announced as a new Central Sector scheme with 100% Central funding in the Union Budget 2022-23 and an initial allocation of Rs. 1500 crore. The approval of the Cabinet was accorded for the PM-DevINE scheme on October 12, 2022. The scheme has an outlay of Rs. 6.700 crore for the 4-year period from 2022-23 to 2025-26 (the remaining years of the 15-year Finance Commission period).
The objectives of the PM-DevINE scheme are to: (1) fund infrastructure convergently, in the spirit of PM GatiShakti; (ii) support social development projects based on the felt needs of the NER; (iii) enable livelihood activities for youth and women; and (iv) fill the development gaps in various sectors.
Since PM-DevINE is a time-bound central sector scheme, the need of the hour is early sanction of projects under it by the Ministry of DoNER.
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