Centre okays Rs 6,600-crore scheme ahead of polls in three NE states

GUWAHATI: About five months ahead of BJP’s three high-stake elections in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a Rs 6,600-crore new central sector scheme for the northeast called the Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE).
The 100% central funding scheme was announced in the last budget to address development gaps in the region. The amount will be used in the remaining four years of the 15th Finance Commission from 2022-23 to 2025-26 and will not be a substitute for existing central and state schemes.
Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal said, “It is a matter of immense satisfaction that we have PM Narendra Modi ji, who is absolutely committed to the people of the northeast. Modi ji’s untiring efforts to propel growth and development saw yet another major milestone when the Union Cabinet passed the PM DevINE scheme today. This is a 100% centrally sponsored scheme that the government aims to use in infrastructure convergently in the spirit of PM Gati Shakti, support social development projects, enable youth & women in livelihood activities and bridge development gaps.”
According to an official statement, the “announcement of PM-DevINE is yet another instance of the importance being attached to the development of NE region by the government.”
“The justification for announcement of PM-DevINE is that the parameters of NE states in respect of Basic Minimum Services (BMS) are well below the national average and there are critical development gaps as per the BER District Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Index 2021-22 prepared by NITI Aayog, UNDP and MDoNER. The new Scheme, PM-DevINE, was announced to address these BMS shortfalls and development gaps,” the statement said.
PM-DevINE will lead to creation of more jobs’
The seven identified basic minimum services for priority attention are primary healthcare, universalisation of primary education, safe drinking water, public housing assistance to all shelterless poor families, nutrition, connectivity of all villages and habitations by roads, and streamlining of the public distribution system (PDS) with a focus on the poor.
After retaining Assam with help of allies in 2021 and Manipur on its own in 2022 for the second consecutive time, BJP’s focus now is on to keep holding power in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland.
Five years back, BJP had ousted the Left Front from its citadel in Tripura to form its first government there in alliance with tribal-based IPFT. But he party faces stiff competition this time with emergence of new players like the Trinamool Congress and the indigenous Tipra Motha in addition to existing rivalry of Congress and the Left Front. In Christian-majority Nagaland, too, BJP formed its first government in collaboration with the regional party, NDPP, as the major ally in 2018. The two parties have already renewed their alliance with the same seat-sharing formula for the upcoming election. BJP’s smallest haul in 2018 was just two seats in Meghalaya, also a Christian-majority state. But despite the small number, it became the fifth partner in the ruling alliance led by NPP.
Differences been BJP and NPP are simmering, largely over BJP’s thrust to better its tally this election. The statement said PM-DevINE will lead to creation of infrastructure, support industries, social development projects and create livelihood activities for youth and women, thus leading to employment generation.
The scheme will be implemented by Ministry of DoNER through North Eastern Council or central ministries or agencies.