NEW DELHI, April 30 — In an adverse comment on the functioning of the north-eastern State Governments, a study group in North-east appointed by the Central Government has confirmed that huge development funds continued to be siphoned off in the region. Alarmed by the reports pouring from the State about misuse of developmental funds and to put a check on siphoning of the funds, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) appointed a study group. It has since submitted its first set of recommendations, revealed the Minister of State for Home Affairs, LD Swami in reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
The recommendations among other things specified measures to improve governance accelerate development and cultural integration of North-east with rest of the country. It is also the perception of the group that some of the development funds are being siphoned off, the minister added.
The study group is in the process of discussing these recommendations with the concerned north-eastern States and already a meeting has taken place with Government of Assam, he further divulged. The study group was appointed to develop a pro-active strategy for the region and to suggest measures, in the short term, for regressing militancy to improve the law and order situation in the area. It was also mandated to make recommendations on the specific steps necessary to improve their law-and-order situation in the area.
To recommend the steps necessary to curb the flow of development funds to militant group through extortion, and to suggest a system for effective governance in the region based on strengths of the North-east and its people, the minister said. It may be mentioned here that misuse of the Central funds granted to the North-east on most liberal terms has long been the cause of headache for the Centre, so much so that the Department of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER) has asked the CAG to concurrent audit on few selected projects in the region.
The ministry has set strict guidelines for the NES to follow failing of which they would be starved of funds. Official visits to the project sites have been ordered and States now have to furnish photographs of projects along with utilisation certificates.