SHILLONG, May 29 - Chief Ministers and Governors of Northeastern States have collectively raised the issue of inadequate fund to North Eastern Council (NEC) in the recently-concluded Plenary meeting of the Council and some said the NEC�s budget is a fit case of �diminishing returns.�
The NEC has a budgetary allocation of Rs 800 crore. Theoretically each of the eight States gets an average allocation of Rs 100 crore.
Funding to the Council has shown a downward trend. The approved outlay for NEC of Rs 6,108 crore during 12th Five Year Plan was lower than the approved outlay of 11th Five Year Plan which was Rs 7,394 crore. On the other hand, the NEC Act was amended in 2002 to include Sikkim as a member State.
�The fund allocation to NEC is in diminishing returns,� Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang said adding the allocation has showed a �downward trend� over the years.
Ibobi Singh of Manipur said, there has not been any substantive increase in NEC�s budget allocation over the years. He said for the past 15 years the member States were trying for a substantive budget enhancement of the Council, unsuccessfully. �I appeal that the NEC�s budget be increased,� he said during the Plenary, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in audience.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul speaking in Hindi, said: NEC and Development of North Eastern Region Ministry�s budget should be increased by five times.�
Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma suggested that some amount of the unspent fund from the Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources be transferred to NEC. Mizoram Chief Minister, Lal Thanhawla also made a similar appeal so did the Governors of the Northeastern States. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said: �Assam supports enhancement of allocation for NEC and a rational distribution of funds on a clearly laid out criteria.�
DoNER Minister Jitendra Singh has promised to look into the matter by referring it to the Finance Ministry.
