Morung Express News
Kohima | February 29
With 29 constituencies covered under Department of Under Developed Areas (DUDA), the budget allocation for the year 2023-24 was Rs 23 crore, however, a proposal is being made to enhanced it by another crore for financial year 2024-2025.
This was stated in response to starred question by MLA A Nyemnyei Konyak, who also pointed out no funds has been received since 2021 for Border Area Development Programme (BADP) amounting to Rs 60 lakh, and Rs 70 lakh for non-BADP.
On the suggestions being made by Konyak and Imkong L Imchen to include Alongtaki A/C under DUDA, Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio opined that he does subscribe to the idea of ‘backward’ remarked that all Nagas including the elected members must have positive mind and work towards development and advancement.
He viewed that if the House chose to fight for backwardness instead of advancement, it would set a negative trend.
Rio also cited instance of turning down the demand of inclusion of Northern Angami areas under DUDA decades ago.
On the suggestion for enhancement of funds under DUDA, Rio acknowledged the limitations in increasing the funding citing various reasons and financial constraints, however, stated that efforts were being made to gradually increase the allocation over the years.
He also asserted on the need for periodic reviews to ensure that backward areas should gradually shifts from ‘backward to forward’ after certain years.
Towards this end, he urged on the collective efforts to bring back the pockets of backward areas or constituencies to ‘forward’, and emphasised that all government departments should also focus on developing the difficult and remote areas of the regions adding that this collective effort is crucial in bringing progress and development to these interior regions.
He also opined that adding more backward areas/pockets will pollute the department, and brushing off the idea of adding more under DUDA, he asserted that the focus should be on developing Eastern Nagas. ‘Let’s keep that focus’ he reminded the members.
The budget allocation for each constituency for the year 2023-24 is as follows:
