New Delhi, May 3: Taking a cue from the home ministry, the department for Development of North Eastern Region (Doner) has decided to publish its own booklet that will have news related to the department’s activities. To be named Doner Newsline, it will be a quarterly magazine that is likely to be sent all over the country to government departments, educational institutions, NGOs and publishing houses.
Doner secretary Reva Nayyar said the rationale behind such an initiative was to disseminate information on the Northeast and the measures taken by the department for development of the region.
“We are trying to bring the Northeast to the mainstream and focus on priority areas. The newsletter will also help in acquainting government departments about development in the region,” the secretary said, adding that the first issue would be released next month.
The newsletter will comprise eight pages, like the home ministry’s monthly Northeast Newsletter.
“We would prefer to publish 10,000 copies initially and could go for more depending on the response. The quarterly magazine could also give way to a monthly edition later on,” sources said.
The editorial team will be headed by joint secretary T. Kumar and assisted by T.K. Murugan and Sunita Chibber as editors. Both of them are deputy secretaries.
The Doner Newsline seeks to make information about the Northeast available to the people.
This is likely to bridge the gap between the state governments and the department over selection of projects and sanctioning of funds.
Doner plays a crucial role in the development of the backward northeastern states. Five agencies, including the North Eastern Council (NEC), are under its administrative control.
It also sanctions funds for projects from the non-lapsable pool of Union resources, which is a fund created with donations from other ministries.
Since its creation in 1972, the NEC has invested more than Rs 6,000 crore. Nearly Rs 2,000 crore have been sanctioned forprojects from the pool since its inception in 1998.
It has now become mandatory for all Union ministries, barring a few like defence and external affairs, to spend 10 per cent of their annual budgets on the Northeast.