Al Ngullie
Morung Express News
Dimapur | January 6
The Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, released more than Rs. 80 crore to the flagship rural development programs of the State during the financial year 2012-2013. The developmental segments under which the funds were released were the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS), Rural Housing and the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA).
Details of the funds and the corresponding developmental heads that received the funds have been made available by the Ministry of Rural Development in its ‘District and Scheme Release Position of Funds’ report for the States. The entire report can be found on the ministry’s digital portal.
Interestingly, Nagaland did not receive funds during the financial year for the programs Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (the country’s nationwide plan to provide good road connectivity to unconnected villages), Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (the program aims at sustainable income for poor people living in rural areas), Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas and programs related to training and BPLs.
Another interesting detail the report showed was that Dimapur district received the largest share of NREGA funds for the financial year 2012-2013 while none of the other districts figured in for the cut.
According to the ministry’s report, the funds released to the eleven districts of Nagaland under MNNREGS, Rural Housing and DRDA totaled Rs. 80.2418 Crore (Rs. 8024.18 lakhs). Under MNREGS, the State’s lone commercial centre Dimapur district received a total of Rs. 5752.69 lakhs, Rs. 255.38 lakhs under the rural housing scheme and Rs. 37.68 lakhs for the DRDA. The funds from the ministry for the three segments brought the district’s total funds to Rs. 6045.76 lakhs.
As stated, Dimapur district is the only one of the eleven that received MNREGS for the state financial year, the ministry’s report shows. The rest of the districts were all allocated portions under rural housing and DRDA only.
According to the ministry’s report, eastern district Kiphire received Rs. 108.28 lakhs for rural housing and Rs. 37.69 lakhs for DRDA; Kohima received Rs. 221.18 lakhs for rural housing and Rs. 37.68 lakhs for DRDA; Longleng district made the cut with Rs. 104.28 lakhs for rural housing and Rs. 37.69 lakhs for DRDA.
As for Mokokchung the district received Rs. 166.60 lakhs for rural housing and Rs. 46.70 lakhs for DRDA; one of Nagaland’s most underdeveloped areas, Mon district, received Rs. 220.74 lakhs for rural housing and Rs. 46.70 lakhs for the district’s DRDA; Peren district received Rs. 126.78 lakhs for rural housing and Rs. 37.69 lakhs for DRDA; Phek district was released Rs. 157.52 lakhs for rural housing and Rs. 37.68 lakhs for DRDA.
Likewise, the ministry released Rs. 213.84 lakhs for remote district Tuensang for the rural housing program while Rs. 46.70 lakhs was the fund for the district’s DRDA; Wokha district was released Rs. 110.68 lakhs for rural housing while for the DRDA she received Rs. 37.69 lakhs. Further, another far-flung district, Zunheboto, was released Rs. 135.58 lakhs for rural housing while for the DRDA she was allocated Rs. 46.70 lakhs by the ministry of Rural Development.
