NEC to constitute task force to review financing of NE projects

Agartala, May 12 (UNI) The first day of 56th Plenary session of North Eastern Council (NEC) today decided to constitute an administrative task force with the Chief Secretaries of all Northeastern states to prepare a report on financing of development projects in the region.

Talking to mediapersons here, NEC Chairman and Minister for Development of North eastern Region (DoNER) Mani Shankar Aiyar said the secretaries of NEC and DoNER would be the conveners of the task force, which would file the review report by July 1.

Mr Aiyar said the task force would study the existing norm of spending 10 per cent of the gross budgetary support of all ministries and whether the funds made available to DoNER through Non-Lapsable Pool of Central Resources (NLPCR) for NE states would be able to sustain augmentation of fund under NLPCR.

''I was instructed to take up the matter with the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and the Planning Commission on the need to augment Rs 1000 Crore for NEC in NLPCR,'' Mr Aiyar said, adding that the council had decided to make certain modifications in North east Industrial and Investment Policy related to excise duty payment.

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