DoNER committed to infrastructure development for Northeast

Itanagar, Apr 6 (UNI) DoNER has cleared three projects of Arunachal Pradesh under non-lapsable central pool of resources (NLCPR) recently.

These projects are the Ropeway project from Tawang Monastery to Gyandong Ani Gompa (Rs 330.89 lakh), Lumla Township water supply project (Rs 4.88 crore) and the Assembly building project (Rs 38.92 crore), official sources said.

The visiting DoNER team-led by its secretary Gauri Chatterjee and joint secretary D S Poonia disclosed this during a review meeting on NLCPR and North East Council projects with the state secretaries and commissioners here yesterday.

Ms Chatterjee said the DoNER was committed to contributing to the infrastructural development of the state and has so far released Rs 400 crore for various infrastructural projects of the state.

However, she reiterated on timely submission of detailed project reports (DPR) and quality utilization certificates, monitoring of project implementation, adhering to timeline to avoid delay and for timely release funds by DoNER. DoNER norms and guidelines should be strictly adhered to avoid delay of projects for speedy development and to benefit the people of the state, she said.

Under SSA, she added that DoNER has released Rs 8 crore in the last financial year under special dispensation. Under the 75:25 funding pattern, out of the 25 per cent state's share. DoNER now bears 15 per cent and the state has to bear only 10 per cent burden, she added and stressed on long term planning and vision while conceiving projects, sources said.

Informing that DoNER would soon start the process of screening the projects submitted by Arunachal and other North Eastern states for 2006-07, Ms Chatterjee has urged the officers concerned to avail the DoNER-funded schemes for capacity building such as training on preparaion of DPR's, project appraisal.

The DoNER secretary, who is associated with National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), further informed that Centre was likely to relax norms for North Eastern states under NRHM owing to the special needs of the region.

During their three days state visit the DoNER team had visited various parts in the state, sources added.

UNI XC PC SB SP1348