Special fund for N-E146;s urgent needs

Acknowledging special problems being faced by states like Arunachal Pradesh and other border areas, 8220;which cannot be tackled in the usual course or through normal schemes8221;, Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Friday proposed to identify urgent needs of these areas and address them through a special mechanism and set aside Rs 500 crore in a fund dedicated for the purpose.

Stating that the North-Eastern Region NER would continue to receive special attention and enhanced allocations, Chidambaram proposed to provide Rs 1,455 crore to the Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region DONER. 8220;Including this amount, the total Budget allocation for NER, spread over different ministries/departments, will increase from Rs14,365 crore in 2007-08 to Rs 16,447 crore in 2008-09,8221; Chidambaram said.