More Than Double Spent for NE States: DoNER Minister

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, April 4, 2025

The central government has spent more than double the earmarked budget for the North Eastern states in the last financial year, Union DoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia informed Parliament on Wednesday.

Responding to a query from former Tripura Chief Minister and current MP from West Tripura, Biplab Kumar Deb, Scindia stated that while the total budget allocation for the region was Rs 51,000 crore, the actual expenditure exceeded Rs 1.06 lakh crore. Deb had sought clarification on how the government ensured the optimal utilization of allocated funds.

Scindia assured the House that, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s directive, a “whole-of-government” approach had been adopted for the region’s development. He emphasized that all 54 ministries were mandated to allocate at least ten percent of their Gross Budgetary Support to the Northeast.

“The total budgetary allocation was Rs 51,000 crore, but we have spent 106 percent more than that. No funds are being wasted; rather, we are investing beyond the planned expenditure,” Scindia said.

Deb had earlier expressed concerns that unutilized funds could be returned to the central finance pool, potentially affecting the region’s development.

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