Assam: DoNER prepares monthly expenditure plan for its funds

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: Utilisation of Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER) in financial year (FY) 2023-24 was only 33.55%. For better utilisation of funds in FY 2024-25, DoNER has come up with a monthly expenditure plan with quarterly targets for spending.

Schemes approved by DoNER are implemented by the states in the NE and other agencies working in the region for development work.

DoNER has allocated Rs 5,900 crore for FY 2024-25. As per the monthly expenditure plan, the target for spending funds in the first quarter (April-June) was 5.59% of the total funds allocated. In the second quarter (July-September), the target was 32.71%. The target for expenditure of funds in the third quarter (October-December) is 33.76%, and that for the fourth quarter (January-March 2025) is 27.94%.

During the last financial year (2023-24), the funds allocation to DoNER was Rs 5892 crore. Of this amount, the expenditure is Rs 1976.76 crore, which is 33.55%.

In the current financial year, the central government has provided only Rs 8 crore more than the amount in the last financial year, taking the amount to Rs 5,900 crore.

It is to be mentioned that the utilisation of DoNER funds was far from satisfactory even in the financial year 2022-23. In that year, the total allocation was Rs 2755.06 crore. Of this, the expenditure was Rs 1113.71 crore, which was 40.42%.

DoNER provides funds under different schemes like the Prime Minister's Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE), the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme, or NESIDS (Roads), NESIDS Other Than Road Infrastructure (OTRI), special packages for Sixth Schedule areas in Assam, etc.

Currently, five schemes under PM-DevINE are being implemented in Assam and 32 overall in the NE states. A total of 62 projects under NESIDS (Roads) are currently ongoing in the NE region.

Also Read: Northeast states yet to spend Rs 9,536 crore of DoNER funds

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