Union Budget 2023-24: Provisions & Fund Allocation for Assam and North East India

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Union Budget 2023-24 – Fund Allocation & Provisions for Assam and North East India

 

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On February 21, 2023, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2023, which has provided much higher outlays for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) during the Financial Year 2023-24.

With the objective of seeking a significant impact in the North Eastern Region (NER), emphasis has been laid on enhancing capital expenditure in the NE Region. By way of devolution Northeast India will get Rs 78,500 Crore. For flagship schemes the budget has allocated Rs 5000 Crore more this year.

  • Enhanced outlays are provided towards supporting the initiatives with special focus for the ST and SC communities; and the livelihoods of the women and the youth in NE Region.
  • There have been significant increases in the MDoNER Scheme-wise outlays also, that will increase the impact in infrastructure, social-development and livelihood sectors in the NER.
  • The quantum of funds to be earmarked by the various Central Ministries / Departments in the NER as per the 10% Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) stipulations have also been significantly enhanced.
  • Some of the major ongoing infrastructure projects in NER such as Capital Connectivity Roads and Rail-Lines, Air Connectivity, Power, Telecom, Petroleum & Natural Gas etc. are financed under 10% GBS.

Some of the announcements related to the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) are: 

  • There is a step-jump in the budget outlay for the MDoNER during the Financial Year 2023-24. The total B.E. 2023-2024 allocation is Rs. 5892.00 crore; well over twice (~114% higher than) the RE 2022-23 allocation of Rs. 2755.05 crore.
  • Out of this, Rs 4093.25 crore (~70%) is provided for Capital expenditure. In addition, Rs. 1,324.03 crore further from within the amount of Rs. 1,798.75 crore provided for Revenue Expenditure is as grants for creation of capital assets.
  • This is tantamount to provisioning of Rs. 5,417.28 crore (~92%) out of Rs. 5,892.00 crores as B.E. 2023-24 outlay for MDoNER towards expenditure of capital nature.  
  • The total B.E. 2023-2024 allocation for the infrastructure targeted North East Special Infrastructure Development (NESID) Scheme is Rs. 2,491.00 crore; well over (~67% higher than) the RE 2022-23 allocation of Rs. 1,493.30 crore.
  • The total B.E. 2023-2024 allocation for the infrastructure, social development and livelihoods targeted Prime Ministers Development Initiative for North-East (PMDevINE) Scheme is Rs. 2,200.00 crore; four and a half times the RE 2022-23 allocation of Rs. 400.00 crore. PM-DevINE was announced in the union budget to address developmental gaps in the northeastern region.
  • The total B.E. 2023-2024 allocation for the overall wholistic development, social infrastructure and social development targeted Schemes of North Eastern Council (NEC) is Rs. 800.00 crore ; (~20% higher than) the RE 2022-23 allocation of Rs. 666.87 crore. 
  • As per Expenditure Profile of Union Budget 2023-24 Statement-11, the 10% GBS share for the NER comes to Rs. 94,679.53 (~31% higher than) the RE 2022-23 allocation of Rs. 72.540.28 crore under 10% GBS share of the 55 non-exempt Ministries / Departments.
  • The allocation for Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) out of the B.E. outlay for 2023-24 has been enhanced to Rs. 1690.00 crore or over twice (~101% higher than) the RE 2022-23 allocation of Rs. 839.95 crore for TSP. 
  • The allocation for Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) out of the B.E. outlay for 2023-24 has been enhanced to Rs. 488.00 crore or nearly one and a half times (~48% higher than) the RE 2022-23 allocation of Rs. 330.54 crore for SCSP.
  • In comparison to the actual expenditure of Rs. 24,819.18 crore in 2014-15, the B.E. 2023-24 provision for 10% GBS shows an increase of Rs. 71,860.35 crore ; nearly thrice ( ~281% higher than) the actual expenditure in 2014-15.
  • In aggregate,  a total of Rs. 3,37,000 crore was spent in the period from 2014-15 to 2021-22. Together with the anticipated expenditures of Rs. 72,540.28 crore in 2022-23 and Rs. 94,679.53 crore in 2023-24, the aggregate expenditure in NER under the 10% GBS stipulation is likely to reach Rs. 5,00,000 crore in the decade from 2014-15 to 2023-24.
  • For the first time an amount of Rs 1.20 lakh crore has been earmarked for connecting the hilly and border areas of the region.

 

Read Highlights of Union Budget 2023-24

 

Funds for Railway Development in Assam & North East States

Adequate fund has been allotted for the overall development of railway infrastructure in all Northeastern states. Union Budget 2023 has allocated 19 projects of Rs. 75,795 crore for the Railways in Assam and NorthEast. 19 projects covering 2,008 Km is are currently in process at Assam and other Northeastern regions. 

Under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, 59 stations in the North East will be developed with world-class amenities/facilities. The list of stations that will be benefited under the scheme are: Naharalagun (Itanagar), Amguri, Arunachal, Chaparmukh, DhemajiDhubriDibrugarh, Diphu, Duliajan, Fakiragram Jn., Gauripur, Gohpur, Golaghat, Gosaigaon hat. Haibargaon, Harmuti, HojaiJagiroad, Jorhat Town, Kamakhya. Kokrajhar, Lanka, Ledo, Lumding, Majbat, MakumJn, Margherita, Mariani, Murkongsolek, Naharkatia, Nalbari. Namrup, Narangi, New Bongaigaon, New Haflong, New Karimganj, New Tinsukia, North Lakhimpur, Pathshala, Rangapara North, RangiyaJn, SarupatharSilapathar, Silchar, Simalguri, Sivasagar Town, Tangla, Tinsukia, Udalguri, ViswanathChariali, Imphal, Sairang (Aizawl), Dimapur, Rangpo, Agartala, Dharmanagar, Kumarghat, Udaypur.

15 stations each in all divisions of NFR to be developed under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.

The Union Budget 2023-24 has earmarked Rs 10,988.80 crore for the development of railways in the North East. It is 13.75 per cent more than the previous year’s allotment (Rs 9,660.14 crore). 

Total railway infrastructure projects of Rs 75,795 crore are going on in the entire Northeastern region. An adequate allocation has been made for the early execution of all the ongoing works. Around Rs 1,100 crore has been allocated for Dimapur-Kohima new line projects while Rs 800 crore is earmarked for the execution of the Jiribam-Imphal new line projects.

  • Other capital connectivity projects in the Northeastern states such as Sivok – Rangpo new line projects in Sikkim gets Rs 2,350 crore while Rs 915 crore has been allocated for Bairabi-Sairang new line projects in Mizoram.
  • Among other new line projects, Rs 200 crore for Agartala-Akhaura international connectivity project between India and Bangladesh and around Rs 700 crore is allocated for Araria – Galgalia project.
  • Rs 600 crore for New Bongaigaon – Rangiya-Kamakhya and Rs 500 crore for New Bongaigaon-Goalpara-Kamakhya has been allocated for speedy execution of the ongoing track doubling works, he also said.
  • Moreover, Rs 115 crore has been allocated for the doubling works between Katihar-Kumedpur and Katihar-Mukuria sections to further improve train connectivity to and from Northeast.
  • Agthori station near Guwahati will be redeveloped with world-class facilities for Rs 517 crore.

 

Acknowledgment

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma “Assam Govt will be richer by Rs 10,000 Crore following the Union budget 2023-24. CM Sarma said, “We have calculated and Assam will be richer by Rs 10,000 following the budget. This part only relates to untied fund. Once we calculate the money from the schemes it will be much more.”

While grant of Panchayats is increased by 15 percent grant of town committees is increased by 61 percent. “SDRF grant is increased by 5 percent and Central sector allocation is enhanced by 5 percent. The interest free loan amount of Assam is increased to Rs 6000 Crore.”

Assam will get an additional Rs 6400 crore of untied funds from the budget than the previous year. From some Rs 25,000 crore annually, this budget has allocated Rs 31, 950 Crore for Assam which is a hike of Rs 6,400 Crore. That means that now the state government will get around Rs 550 Crore more from the Centre monthly.”

Currently, the state government receives around Rs 18,000 Crore monthly from the Centre as untied funds which the state government can utilize at its own will.

 

Federation of Industry and Commerce of North Eastern Region (FINER) has hailed the Budget 2023, welcoming the budget, Bajrang Lohia said that the Finance Minister presented a citizen-centric, growth-oriented budget, which clearly sets the priorities going ahead, aiming at a stable tax regime. The budget focuses on the youth, women, and disadvantaged in general, and strives for enabling opportunities among the people.

The announcement of laying Rs.2491 crore for the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme is a huge relief to the industry fraternity of the region. Under the scheme, 100 percent centrally funding is provided to the State governments of North Eastern Region for the projects of physical infrastructure relating to water supply, power and connectivity enhancing tourism and social infrastructure relating to primary and secondary sectors of education and health.

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