Shillong, June 22: The Centre has directed all northeastern states whose autonomous district councils have received Rs 1,000 crore special assistance from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to constitute two committees for utilizing the fund.
Officials said 10 autonomous district councils in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura have been given shares of the Special Assistance Grant for scheduled areas in February.
“We have been asked to constitute two committees one headed by the chief executive members of the ADCs and the state level committee headed by the chief secretary,” Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said.
He said one of the reasons in the delay in releasing the grant amount to the ADCs, Meghalaya has three, was due to the fact that the state government was waiting for a complete clarity on the guidelines for spending the grant.
The guideline was issued by the finance ministry on June 10 and was received by the state government on June 14.
It will be be mandatory for the ADCs to consult MPs and MLAs while proposing any projects. As per the guideline, the state-level committee will examine the project proposals received from the district council level committees. Both would be responsible for monitoring the implementation of the projects.“The state level committee will approve suitable projects and intimate the details of approved projects to NITI Aayog,” Sangma said.
Of the 1000 crore special assistance, Rs 267.4 crore was sanctioned for three ADCs in Meghalaya for 2015-16, Rs 16.86 crore for three ADCs in Mizoram, Rs 539.79 crore for three ADCs in Assam and Rs 175.95 crore one in Tripura. The funds have already been deposited with the respective governments.
In Meghalaya Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council will receive Rs 133.12 crore, Garo Hills Autonomous District Council will receive Rs 100.71 crore and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council will get Rs 33.57 crore.
In Mizoram, Rs 4.58 crore has been sanctioned for Chakma Autonomous District Council, Rs 4.64 crore for Lai Autonomous District Council and Rs 7.64 crore for Mara Autonomous District Council. In Assam, Bodoland Territorial Council will get the highest assistance of Rs 421.02 crore, while North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council will get Rs 24.66 crore and Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Rs 94.11 crore.
Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council will get Rs 175.95 crore, the officials said.
