NEW DELHI, July 8 ? The North Eastern Region (NER) has little to cheer about the UPA Government?s maiden Budget, as ongoing schemes and projects were sought to be repackaged and presented. Apart from the promise to launch a flood control and anti-erosion project in Assam and Rs 100 crore increase in allocation out of the Non-Lapsable Pool of Central Resources (NLCPR ), Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram?s Budget has nothing new to offer to NE.
The Budget?s predictably evoked a mix response from the Region?s MPs? who expressed the view that it fell short of their expectations. Taking a cue from the UPA National Common Minimum Programme, the Union Finance Minister said that the Government was committed to the speedy development of the NER and Sikkim. On the flood control front, the Union Finance Minister said that the Brahmaputra Board has prepared a plan for anti-erosion and flood control works in Brahmaputra and Barak Valleys. A programme of flood control and anti-erosion will be launched in the current year, he announced. There will be full Central support to flood control works in inter-state rivers and international rivers. Rs 30 crore has been allocated in the current year and additional funds would be provided to keep pace with the progress of works, he announced.
However, there was no increase in grants-in-aid to Brahmaputra Board and its allocation was kept at Rs 20 crore. Allocation for flood control works in Brahmaputra and Barak Valleys was doubled to Rs 20 crore from Rs 10 crore. Allocation for Pagladiya Dam Project was decreased by Rs 5 crore and fixed at Rs 40 crore. No allocation has been proposed for the year for Harrange Drainage Scheme. Allocation for protection of Majuli Island in Assam and Dihang Project has been increased to Rs 15 crore up from Rs 10.47 crore last fiscal. A Finance Ministry note said that UNESCO has recently declared the Majuli Island as a World Heritage. For protecting the biggest river island in world, the Brahmaputra Board has prepared a detailed project report for undertaking work.
Meanwhile, funds for DONER has been increased to Rs 1,185 crore from Rs 1069.90 crore last fiscal. The allocation for NEC has been fixed at Rs 445 crore up from Rs 430.30 crore. Allocation for fencing and construction of border roads along Indo-Bangladesh border has been doubled to Rs 441.08 crore from Rs 200.68 crore. Out of this Rs 270.47 crore would be spent on fencing and Rs 170.61 crore on construction of border roads.
Meanwhile, while the Congress MPs hailing from the Rrgion were guarded in their reaction to the Budget, Opposition MPs criticised it. An upset Dr Arun Kumar Sarma said that both the Congress-led and BJP-led Governments have done nothing for the NER. Whatever, the Region has received was given by non-BJP and non-Congress United front Government, he maintained. Dr Sarma said that the Rs 30 crore allocated for flood control works was insufficient even for one district like Lakhimpur. There was nothing specific about the project proposed to be launched by Brahmaputra Board, he complained.
Reacting to the Budget, Kirip Chaliha said that though it was one of the most pro-people Budget, unfortunately NER has very little reason to be happy about. ?Although some allocation has been made for flood control works it is not enough. In my own constituency some Rs 80 crore is needed for flood control works. Much more is needed for Majuli Island,? he said. Rajya Sabha MP, Dwijen Sarma said that it was a good budget with specific plans for Brahmaputra Board and DONER. ?But we have to get a lot of things from Centre which are pending for a long time and we will fight for that,? he asserted. Lok Sabha MP Lalitmohan Suklabaidya said that the State needed adequate funds for effective flood control works. He said that farmers in Karimganj and Hailakandi districts needed to go for double cropping for which flood control was absolutely necessary.
Nabam Rebia, Rajya Sabha MP from Arunachal Pradesh, described the Budget as a common man?s Budget. But the proposals for the NER should not remain confined to papers. Effective actions should be taken by the States to ensure 100 percent utilisation of allocated funds,? he said. Assam Congress president, Paban Singh Ghatowar has reacted positively to the Budget saying that it would benefit the poor. He also hailed the hike in allocation to the DONER asserting that it would help the North-east. But he said he was expecting special long-term measures for tea industry.
No mention has been made about the tea industry, which is passing through a bad phase and needed long-term measures. He said that plight of the tea industry would have to taken up afresh with the Central Government.