March 14, 2022
Sushmita Dev speaks during the discussion on the working of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region
Sir, I would like to thank my party for giving me the opportunity to speak on a very, very important Ministry, which is the DoNER Ministry. The workings of the DoNER Ministry have a direct impact on all the States of North-East. I come from the State of Assam. As I speak today, I am proud to say that it is the All India Trinamool Congress which has given a public representative from the North-East an opportunity to come to this House. Earlier, there was a nominated Member, Dr. B.B. Dutta. But I am the first elected Member who has come from Assam through the
Legislative Assembly of Bengal. Sir, I have heard very carefully what hon. Member of Parliament, Ripun Bora ji, said. I have heard very carefully what Kalita ji has said. I think neither Ripun Bora ji nor any other Member of any party can disagree that the vision to set up a Ministry to look into the inclusivity and development of the NorthEastern States was a visionary idea. But, in doing that, we must look at the history of North-East. The North-Eastern States, the development of those States, the connectivity of those States, the growth of those States took a drastic hit after the partition. I have heard very carefully what Kalita ji has said. I think neither Ripun Bora ji nor any other Member of any party can disagree that the vision to set up a Ministry to look into the inclusivity and development of the NorthEastern States was a visionary idea. But, in doing that, we must look at the history of North-East. The North-Eastern States, the development of those States, the connectivity of those States, the growth of those States took a drastic hit after the partition. After 1971, the next step that was taken for the development of the North-Eastern States is the Ministry that we are discussing today. However, in 2001, it was only a nodal department under the Home Ministry. It was in 2004 that it got the status of a full-fledged Ministry. I ask myself this question. When the North-Eastern States actually have 8 per cent of the country’s geographical area, when the North-Eastern States actually have 3.8 per cent of its population and, if I may say so, are strategically the most important part of the country by the sheer fact that 90 per cent of its borders are shared with other countries like China, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, etc., should we still continue to review the work of this Ministry through the prism of security and the Home Ministry? Sir, I have to say that it is just today that the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Home Affairs, Shri Anand shama ji, has laid on the Table this Report which includes the report on the performance of the NEC and this Ministry which we are discussing today. I have not been able to peruse it, because within one hour of his laying it on the Table of the House the debate started. If the data that I have is a little backdated, I hope that you will forgive me that minor error. I am pained to say that these States of the North-East which have the highest number of indigenous people, which have the highest number of biodiversity spots and the highest numbers of
national parks, which have the highest literacy rate, which is one of the richest areas in natural resources whether it is oil, coal or gas, there is no denying that any part of the country we go to we see young children from the North-East who are working in various industries, especially hospitality management industry. We cannot deny that despite this situation today the North-Eastern States lack basic health and education facilities. Kalita Sir said before me that the Prime Minister of India has been to the North-East some 14 or 16 times …(Interruptions)… Forty times. He forgot to say it is a big thing that he stays the night also in the North East. You forgot to say that. Anyway, Sir, let me give some data. We all know that the DoNER Ministry operates on ten per cent of the entire budget of 54 Ministries of the country which used to be called the NLCPR and has now been renamed. I would like to put some figures in front of you of 2022-23. These are just some examples because my time is short. The allocation of the Ministry of
Road and Transport is the lowest — 5 per cent. The allocation of Health and Family Welfare is 8 per cent, which is the lowest. The allocation of Rural Development is five per cent of the gross budget. The allocation of Telecom, while we talk about poor communication in the North-East, is merely one per cent. It is just to give some data to my friends. We all agree that the North-East needs more inputs and more money. I would like to say that since 2015-16, the allocation of this Ministry was some Rs.2,363 crores, and as of 2022-23, it is Rs.2,800 crore. From 2015-16 to 2022, which is how many decades you can calculate yourself, what has been the increase in the Budget allocation of this Ministry? It is a matter of record. I would not like to criticize the Government for the sake of criticism. I would like to point out what my hon. colleague, the Member of Parliament, said as to how many projects have been implemented in reality under DoNER. Sir, I speak in favour of strengthening DoNER; I don’t speak in favour of weakening DoNER. The biggest problem which the Ministry of DoNER has is that it does not have any line Departments. Today, whatever money is sanctioned in the States of North East, they are dependent on the administrative strength of the North Eastern States. Sir, you know better than me and you are very learned as to how many administrative reforms the North Eastern States have till today. In the State of Assam, िपछलेदो-चार साल सेपूरा का पूरा एडिमिनस्�ेशन िसफर् एन.आर.सी. का ही काम कर रहा हैतो डोनर का वेक्या काम करेंगेऔर िकसी अन्य िडपाटर्मेंट का और क्या काम करेंगे? Sir, I have one important data. I don’t want to repeat some of the things which the Opposition leaders have already said that this is the state of investment. Mr. Kalita said that the new 2017 Industrial Policy has injected impetus into the economy of the North Eastern States. I am pained to say that under the 2007 policy, at that time, the national share of investment in North Eastern States was 8.3 per cent. In the new policy, that share was at
0.02 per cent in 2019, 2.30 per cent in 2018 and 0.49 per cent in 2020. Last but not the least, I would like to say that one huge issue in the North East is our ecology and environment. Land is the issue where different tribal people of the North Eastern States in various areas have been repeatedly agitating. Land is everything to the identity of the indigenous people. I am sorry to say but recently, in May, 2020, there was BaghjanAssam Oil India fire, where gas well caught fire. Official documents have shown that Oil India company expanded operations into ecologically sensitive zones without public hearings. This is your document which says this. Today, I would like to point out that illegal coal mining is one of the biggest issues. It is one of the biggest issues of the North Eastern States. As you know, without coal, no industry can function. I urge upon NEC and the Ministry of DoNER to take a policy decision on coal mining for the North East क्योंिक कोल चािहए और िजतना इल्लीगल कोल border सेजाता है, कोल जो िंसिडके ट के थ�जाता है, उससेस्टेट का नुकसान होता हैऔर पैसा कोई और बनाता है। Today, you have NEDFi. आज NEDFi भी एक एजेंसी है। It is a Non Banking Financial Institution which works under DoNER. We appreciate the work of NEDFi. In the two industries of the Hindustan Paper Corporation — one in Barak Valley, which is the Cachar Paper Mill, and another one is Nagaon Paper Mill — assets worth thousands of crores of rupees are going to be sold for peanuts. Do you know that Cachar Paper Mill is being liquidated today only because an amount of Rs.92 lakh was owed to some creditor? Could NEDFi not have restructured this debt and saved that industry? So, you need to relook at the functions of NEDFi too. Startups are extremely important issue, which impacts the young entrepreneurs of North East. I request NEDFi that you must have seed money for pre-revenue period. Today, to start any entrepreneurship, you know that there has to be due diligence of the industry, you have to do enough research to see whether this industry will work, whether this business will work or not, etc. Please think of giving seed money to startups of young entrepreneurs. I hope that whatever planning NEC does, whatever planning the Ministry of DoNER does, for the development of North Eastern States, it should not be unplanned development and it should not be a policy of only extraction of our natural resources. And I hope that finally North-East can get out of the rut. कु छ लोग बोलतेहैंिक नॉथर्-ईस्ट मेंdevelopment नहीं होता है, क्योंिक insurgency हैऔर कु छ लोग बोलतेहैंिक चूँिक insurgency है, इसिलए नॉथर्-ईस्ट मेंdevelopment नहीं होता है। NEC has a role to play. 2013 मेंएक Amendment Bill आया था और NEC की power बढ़ाई गई थी िक inter State, North-Eastern States के बीच मेंजो मु�ेहैं, NEC उनका भी समाधान कर सकती है। मैंयह पूछती हूँिक NEC नेAssam-Mizoram border dispute मेंऐसा क्या कदम उठाया? आज असम और मेघालय के बीच border का dispute है, आज नागालैंड और असम के बीच border का dispute है। So, NEC should not be a mute spectator to these issues. Development of an area cannot just be about roads and bridges and building water treatment plants. You must solve the border disputes between the North-Eastern States without which you are creating bad precedents. And what is that precedent? सर, क्या आपनेकभी सुना िक एक राज्य की पुिलस दूसरेराज्य की पुिलस को गोली मार कर कत्ल कर रही है? यह िमज़ोरम और असम के border पर North-Eastern States के इितहास में पहली बार हुआ है। आज तक िसवाय compensation के, 50 लाख के compensation के कोई और कारर्वाई नहीं हुई। So, NEC must look after the interest of the North East as a whole. Today, Assam should not take precedence over Mizoram and Mizoram should not take precedence over Assam and vice versa. That is the job of North East. I also appeal to the Government of India that DoNER Ministry must have an office in the North East States. सर, पहलेNEC को जो chair करतेथे, वह राज्यपाल करतेथे। A Governor of any of the North East States, by virtue of seniority, size or whatever, on rotation, used to run the NEC. So, they could look after the security issues. They could look after the regional issues because as you realize, North East is a very unique place when it comes to its regional politics and regional ethnicity. Now, it is the hon. Minister of DoNER who chairs the NEC. So, one should also consider whether we should go back to the old model of letting the Governor of one of the North East States on rotation to head the North East States. More importantly, I request that the DoNER Ministry should be funded and given the sufficient human resource to have an office in one of the North Eastern States so that we can access the DoNER Ministry locally rather than having to come to the mainland in Delhi. It would be convenient for all Chief Ministers. सर, मैंएक और चीज कहूँगी — मैंअसम मेंMLA भी थी, मैंलोक सभा की MP भी थी, आज मैंराज्य सभा में हूँ — िक एक objectivity लाने की ज�रत है। Objectivity के मायनेमैंयह कहना चाह रही हूँिक project का selection कौन करता है। आज NEC के पास इतना पैसा होना चािहए, DoNER के पास इतना पैसा होना चािहए िक they should do a district-wise survey of what the infrastructure deficit is. मैंऐसा आपसेइसिलए कहती हूँ, it is very simple. आप िकसी को stadium दें, हम खुश हैं, sports के stadiums ज�र बनें, पर असम मेंऐसेउदाहरण हैंिक ऐसेprojects बन रहेहैं, which could have been second or third priority. Today, what is the urgency? For instance, erosion is a very big issue in Assam. If erosion is such a big issue, who is prioritizing? आज stadium बनना चािहए या erosion का काम करना चािहए, यह कौन तय करता है? That is where the nepotism and corruption starts in DoNER at the State levels. मैं िकसी specific मुख्यमं�ी या सरकार को नहीं कह रही हूँ, favouritism starts from there. The NEC and the DoNER Ministry must have some mechanism to inject, to ensure objectivity in the selection of projects. यह मेरा चहेता है, चलो, इसको DoNER में project दे दो, ऐसा नहीं होना चािहए। आज उस constituency सेिकसी भी पाट� का िवधायक या सांसद हो, it must be needbased. And it must be scrutinized as to what the criteria of the schemes that are being sent from the State Government to the DoNER Ministry are. Sir, with these few words, I thank you for your patience and I thank my
Party.
