While presenting the Interim Budget 2019-20 in Parliament today the Union Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs, Railways & Coal, Piyush Goyal said that the allocation for the North Eastern Areas is being proposed to be increased by 21% to Rs 58,166 crore in 2019-20 Budget Estimates over 2018-19 BE. The people of North East have also received significant benefits of infrastructure development. Arunachal Pradesh came on the air map recently and Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram have come on India’s rail map for the first time, he said.
The Finance Minister said that the Government will introduce container cargo movement to the North East by improving the navigation capacity of the Brahmaputra river. Goyal said that the projects stuck for decades like the Bogibeel rail-cum-road bridge in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have been completed. With the commissioning of the Pakyong airport in Sikkim, the number of operational airports in the country has crossed 100, he added.
Given below is the budget allocation for some of the major schemes being implemented in the North Eastern Region:
(Rs in crore)
| Scheme | 2017-18
Actuals |
2018-19
BE |
2018-19
RE |
2019-20
BE |
| Schemes of North Eastern Council | 335 | 380 | 607 | 580 |
| Central Pool of Resources for North East and Sikkim | 861 | 1000 | 781 | 931 |
| Other subsidy payable including for North Eastern Region | 282 | 608 | 513 | 674 |
| Refund of Central and Integrated GST to Industrial Units in North Eastern Region and Himalayan States
|
169 | 1500 | 1500 | 1700 |
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