Trinamool leader Derek O’ Brien flags underutilisation of funds meant for Northeast, seeks probe

Elevating “critical considerations” over finances underutilisation, implementation delays and the restricted attain of Central schemes within the Northeast and West Bengal, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Derek O’Brien urged the Parliamentary Standing Committee on House Affairs to analyze the Ministry of Improvement of North Jap Area (DoNER), in a letter to the panel’s chairperson.

In his submission to the committee chaired by BJP MP Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, Mr. O’Brien, who can also be a member of the panel, flagged what he known as the persistent underutilisation of funds by DoNER.

In keeping with the figures cited by him, 41% of the Price range Estimates for 2024-25 and 36% of the allocation for 2025-26 allegedly stay unspent. He argued that repeated underspending undermined growth efforts in a area marked by financial vulnerability and strategic significance.

Trinamool leaders additionally identified the restricted implementation of the “PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana”, the Centre’s rooftop photo voltaic scheme. The information cited by Mr. O’Brien present large disparities between targets and precise beneficiaries throughout Northeastern States. As an illustration, Arunachal Pradesh recorded only one beneficiary towards a goal of practically 10,000, whereas Sikkim reported 26 beneficiaries regardless of a goal of 25,000. In your complete Northeast, solely 75,407 households have been coated out of a goal of 3,06,408, leaving 75% of meant beneficiaries outdoors the scheme, based on the figures he shared.

Mr. O’Brien additionally pointed to what he stated have been manpower shortages throughout the Ministry, noting that 25% of sanctioned posts in DoNER have been vacant. Such vacancies, he argued, weakened undertaking monitoring and delay fund disbursal.

The letter additionally flagged pending dues of catastrophe‑aid that the West Bengal authorities has claimed from the Centre for disasters courting again to 2019. In keeping with Mr. O’Brien’s compilation, the entire dues quantity to ₹53,696 crore. He criticised the Centre’s stance that catastrophe administration is primarily a State duty, saying delays within the launch of Central funds hindered rehabilitation in catastrophe‑inclined areas.