SHILLONG, Nov 9: The North Eastern Council (NEC) on Monday said it had released Rs 79.53 crore in October for development projects across the Northeast, covering connectivity, rural infrastructure, agriculture, enterprise development, education and cultural preservation.
Meghalaya received the highest allocation of Rs 26.56 crore, including funds for the rehabilitation and strengthening of the 46.08-km Chokpot-Kharukol road under the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme-Roads. The project is expected to benefit 78 villages and more than 15,000 residents.
The state also received support for establishing a Multi-Disciplinary Training-cum-Resource Centre in Shillong. Assam received Rs 14.79 crore for rural road links, an RCC bridge in Udalguri, a 20,000-litre dairy processing plant at Patacharkuchi, support for Deori tribal weavers in Lakhimpur and the Sepoy Mutiny War Memorial at Hailakandi.
Arunachal Pradesh was allocated Rs 11.18 crore, mainly for road connectivity in border and remote areas, including the Riaga-Sango road in Kra Daadi district and the 21-km Amuli-Athuni road via Leyaka Pass in Anini. Funds were also released for a girls' hostel at Donyi Polo Government College in Kamki.
Sikkim received Rs 15.51 crore for strengthening organic agriculture and veterinary healthcare, including the upgradation of district veterinary hospitals in Pakyong, Soreng, Mangan and Gyalshing into modern polyclinics. Nagaland received Rs 7.99 crore for enterprise development, trade facilitation, mineral-resource assessment and road connectivity.
Tripura was allocated Rs 3.50 crore for establishing an Agar International Trade and Research Centre and research on tribal freedom fighters. Funds for Manipur and Mizoram supported road projects, a bridge over the Leimakhong River, infrastructure for the Barak Heritage Festival, facilities at Oriental College in Imphal West, a jaggery processing centre at Phulpui and a market at West Phaileng.
The NEC, which functions under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, said several projects were completed or formally closed in October. These included a 6-km road from BRTF Road to Pidi in Arunachal Pradesh, the commissioning of an expanded bamboo tissue-culture laboratory at the Rain Forest Research Institute in Jorhat, heritage conservation works in Manipur and the Aizawl Institute of Art and Music at Tuivamit Tlang in Mizoram.
