Centre allocates INR 31.31 crore to Nagaland under CRIF

DIMAPUR: The central government has allocated a total of INR 31.31 crore to Nagaland for development and maintenance of state roads under central road and infrastructure fund (CRIF) scheme for the fiscal year 2022-23. It was reported that a total of INR 28.39 crore has been released as on February 28, 2023.

This was informed by the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on March 23. The minister reported that Nagaland had put forward 52 proposals for state road projects under the CRIF scheme in the fiscal year 2022-23. He added that as of February 28, 2023, only one state road project covering 24 km, with an estimated cost of INR 92.77 crore, has been approved.

Under CRIF Act, 2000, and amended by the Finance Act, 2019, the Ministry allocates funds to state governments/ union territories for the development and maintenance of state roads through the CRIF scheme.

As of February 28, 2023, Nagaland was the sole state from the Northeast region to have a finalised state road project for the year 2022-2023, although Arunachal Pradesh submitted six proposals, Manipur submitted 26, Mizoram submitted 9, Sikkim submitted 66, and Tripura submitted 12 proposals for state road projects for the year 2022-2023. It stated that none of these proposals had been finalised under the CRIF Scheme.

In the previous years of 2019-2020, 2020-21, and 2021-22, Nagaland did not have any state road projects approved under the CRIF scheme, as the state did not submit any proposals for road projects in the years 2020-21 and 2021-22. However, in 2019-2020, Nagaland had submitted five proposals for State Road projects, but none of them were finalized under the CRIF scheme.

It may be noted here that for the year 2021-2022, Arunachal Pradesh had submitted 27 proposals for State Road projects under the CRIF scheme, and all 27 projects were approved and the projects cover a total of 294.31 km amounting to a total of INR 553.48 crore in funding.

In the same fiscal year 2021-2022, Meghalaya also submitted 15 proposals for State Road projects under the CRIF Scheme, and all 15 projects were approved and these projects cover a total of 127.31 Km amounting to a total of INR 256.60 crore in funding.

Meanwhile, Mizoram submitted three proposals for state road projects under the CRIF scheme, wherein one project was approved that covers a distance of 10.25 km at a cost of INR 46.57 crore.