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

Raising “serious concerns” over budget underutilisation, implementation delays and the limited reach of Central schemes in the Northeast and West Bengal, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Derek O’Brien urged the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs to investigate the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (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 is also a member of the panel, flagged what he called the persistent underutilisation of funds by DoNER.

According to the figures cited by him, 41% of the Budget Estimates for 2024-25 and 36% of the allocation for 2025-26 allegedly remain unspent. He argued that repeated underspending undermined development efforts in a region marked by economic vulnerability and strategic importance.

Trinamool leaders also pointed out the limited implementation of the “PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana”, the Centre’s rooftop solar scheme. The data cited by Mr. O’Brien show wide disparities between targets and actual beneficiaries across Northeastern States. For instance, Arunachal Pradesh recorded just one beneficiary against a target of nearly 10,000, while Sikkim reported 26 beneficiaries despite a target of 25,000. In the entire Northeast, only 75,407 households were covered out of a target of 3,06,408, leaving 75% of intended beneficiaries outside the scheme, according to the figures he shared.

Mr. O’Brien also pointed to what he said were manpower shortages within the Ministry, noting that 25% of sanctioned posts in DoNER were vacant. Such vacancies, he argued, weakened project monitoring and delay fund disbursal.

The letter also flagged pending dues of disaster‑relief that the West Bengal government has claimed from the Centre for disasters dating back to 2019. According to Mr. O’Brien’s compilation, the total dues amount to ₹53,696 crore. He criticised the Centre’s stance that disaster management is primarily a State responsibility, saying delays in the release of Central funds hindered rehabilitation in disaster‑prone areas.