Year End Review of MoDNER

• Context (PIB): Achievements of Ministry of Development of North–Eastern Region for the year 2023.

Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MoDNER)

• It is responsible for the matters relating to the planning, execution and monitoring of development schemes and projects in the North-Eastern Region.
• This is the only Ministry with territorial jurisdiction.

North Eastern Region (NER)

• It consists of eight states — Assam, AP, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim.

• It accounts for 7.9% of the total geographical area of the country.
• It shares its boundary with four countries viz, China, Myanmar, Bhutan and Bangladesh.
• The western side of the North-East is connected to the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent by a narrow land corridor, sometimes referred to as the Siliguri Corridor or “Chicken’s Neck“.

North Eastern Council (NEC)

• It is the nodal agency of MoDNER overseeing the economic and social development of the NER.
• It is a statutory advisory body constituted under the NEC Act 1971.
• The headquarters of the council is situated in Shillong.

Members

1. The Governors and the Chief Ministers of the eight-member States.
2. Chairman and three Members nominated by the President of India.

Functions

• The council discusses any matter in which some or all of the States represented in the Council have a common interest and advises the Central and State governments concerned, particularly concerning:
  1. Any matter of common interest in economic and social planning.
  2. Any matter concerning inter-State Transport and Communications.
  3. Any matter relating to Power or Flood-control projects of common interest.

MoDNER Schemes and Initiatives

North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme

• NESIDS is a Central Sector Scheme (100% central funding to the State Governments) under the Ministry of Development of the northeast region that was approved by the GoI in 2017.
• It’s for projects of Physical Infrastructure relating to water supply, power, connectivity, enhancing tourism, and social infrastructure (Education and Health).
• The scheme was restructured in 2022-23 to include two components:
  1. NESIDS-Road
  2. NESIDS-Other Than Road Infrastructure (OTRI)
• The objective of NESIDS is to supplement the efforts of the different Central Ministries and departments for uncovered development/welfare activities in the NER.

NESIDS – Road

• It subsumes the project sanctioned under its predecessor following schemes:
  1. North-East Road Sector Development Schemes (NERSDS)
  2. Road/ Bridges projects of NESIDS.
• It aims to provide specific gap funding in the construction of roads:
  1. To provide access to remote locations,
  2. To provide access to markets,
  3. From a security point of view.
• Till date, 10 projects have been sanctioned and 3 projects have been selected for sanction.

NESIDS – Other Than Road Infrastructure

• It subsumes the projects sanctioned under its predecessor following schemes:
  1. Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR)
  2. North-East Special Infrastructure Development Schemes (NESIDS)
  3. Hill Area Development Programme (HADP)
• Total projects sanctioned are 1548, out of which 1098 projects are completed, and 450 projects are ongoing. 

Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE)

• The scheme was announced as a 100% Central Sector Scheme in Budget 2022-23.
• The scheme has an outlay of Rs. 6,600 crore for the four years from 2022-23 to 2025-26.
• It is implemented by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) through the North Eastern Council (NEC).

Objectives

• Fund infrastructure convergently in the spirit of PM GatiShakti.
• Support social development projects based on the felt needs of the North Eastern Region (NER).
• Enable livelihood activities for youth and women.
• Fill the development gaps in various sectors.

Achievements

• Till 26.12.2023, 9 projects have been sanctioned and 14 projects have been recommended for sanction.
• In addition, 12 projects have been recommended in principle (selected).

Special Development Packages

Bodoland Territorial Council

• It is an autonomous district council in the state of Assam.
• It was established under the provisions of the Sixth Schedule following the Bodo Accord in 2003.
• It consists of four districts of Assam: Kokrajhar, Baksa, Udalguri and Chirang.
• Through this council, the Bodo people have a self-governing body that seeks to preserve their political, cultural and language rights.

Areas covered

• BTC has legislative, administrative, executive and financial powers over 40 subjects in the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD).

Structure

• BTC is governed by a council that comprises 46 members, of which 40 are elected representatives and the remaining 6 are nominated by the Governor from unrepresented communities of BTAD.

Key functions

• It is entrusted with responsibilities related to town & country planning, land & revenue, forests & environment, and education among other subjects.

Achievements

• Under the old package, 65 projects have been sanctioned, 54 projects are completed, and 11 projects are ongoing. 

Karbi Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council (KAATC)

• It is a local governing body in Assam, created under the provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the IC
• It covers the Karbi Anglong district and the West Karbi Anglong district of Assam.
• It seeks to protect the social-cultural rights and autonomy of the Karbi people (also known as Mikir).
• The Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council emerged from the North-East Frontier (Administration of Justice) Regulation, 1945.
• Over time, it was renamed as the Karbi Anglong district and governed by the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC).
• KAAC is composed of 30 members, 26 of whom are elected, and 4 nominated by the governor from unrepresented classes.

Achievements

• Under the old KAATC package, 26 projects have been sanctioned, 4 projects are completed, and 22 projects are ongoing. Also, 6 other projects have been in-principle approved under this package.
• Under the new KAATC package, 3 projects have been in-principle approved.

Agartala-Akhaura Rail Link Project

• The Project is funded by GoI under an Aid Grant to Bangladesh on the Bangladesh side and the Ministry of DoNER on the Indian side.
• Objective: Extension of Maitree Express (running between Kolkata to Dhaka) up to Agartala, reducing the travel time from 38 hours to 16 hours.

Initiatives for Startup Ecosystem

• North–East Venture Fund: MDoNER and North-Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) collaborated to establish the 1st dedicated venture fund for the North-East Region.
• Manipur Startup Venture Fund an initiative for startups in Manipur in collaboration with the Government of Manipur.
• NRL Ideation Angel Fund was established in association with Numaligarh Refinery Ltd, a subsidiary of Oil India Ltd.

Signing of MoUs

• Between MoDNER and UNDP: UNDP would provide MDoNER with technical support on:
  1. Fast-tracking progress on the SDGs;
  2. Monitoring, evaluation, and capacity building;
  3. Support Aspirational districts and blocks;
• Between North–Eastern Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation Ltd. (NEHHDC), MDoNER and Department of Heritage & Tourism, Government of Haryana for bilateral, cross-cultural exchange & promotion of handicrafts, handlooms, textiles, crafts, culture, and cuisine of the state of Haryana and North-East India.

Advancing North East Portal

• It is a digital platform and web-based initiative developed by NEC through the North-Eastern Development Finance Corporation (NEDFi) which provides knowledge and guidance for the youth of NER. 

Design Labs for Livelihood Generation

• Objective: Train local youth in the identified areas to acquire the required Digital Skills to get gainful employment in the knowledge economy/digital economy.

Achievements of North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Ltd. (NERAMAC)

• Procurement of Agri-horti Produce: Procurement of products like Pineapple, Avocado, Black Rice, Cashew nut, Large Cardamom, Cinnamon, and Black Pepper, etc. under its umbrella brand ‘NE Fresh’.
• Branding and marketing of the locally processed products.
• Launched Brand ‘NERAMAC Premium’ for marketing of G.I. tagged products.
• Formation and Promotion of FPOs in NER: 205 FPOs have been formed across NER.

Achievements of North Eastern Handicrafts & Handlooms Development Corporation Limited (NEHHDC) 

• Established Ashtlaxmi Haat & Experience Centre at Guwahati: It will provide market access to artisans of all Northeast states and provide accommodation to artisans from out station.
• ERI silk spinning plant at Integrated Textile Park, Mushalpur, Baksa (Assam) envisioned to provide employment in the NER.
• Providing market development by way of digitalization, authentication, and traceability covering 10,000 weavers across 7 states (except Sikkim) in NER.
• Livelihood Business Incubators (LBI): The Corporation has received sanction for the establishment of Jewellery and Handicraft Incubation Centre under the ASPIRE Scheme of the Ministry of MSME.