AGARTALA / NEW DELHI, July 6 (TIWN): The Budget presented by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday proposed an expenditure of nearly Rs 60,000 crore for development of the northeast - the biggest allocation for the region until now.

The Budget proposed a Rs 33-crore Relief and Rehabilitation For Migrants and Repatriates fund for Tripura, Assam and Mizoram. It set aside Rs 467.65 crore for minority welfare and Rs 706 crore for tribal welfare. The Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) ministry has been allocated Rs 3,000 crore - Rs 400 crore more than the last fiscal. Funding under the Non Lapsable Central Pool of Resources has gone up from Rs 922.96 crore to Rs 1,227.75 crore. The Budget proposed that the biggest share of central schemes and funds from the central pool be directed to the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme - up from Rs 130 crore in the last fiscal to Rs 694.65 crore, a 434% increase. Funding for road projects under the scheme has gone up from Rs 402.77 crore to Rs 717.17 crore.

Following infrastructure was farmer welfare and livelihood. The Budget proposed Rs 12,982.07 crore for the region under a new central scheme to provide old-age pension to small and marginal farmers. The scheme will function under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojna. A minimum fixed pension of Rs 3,000 per month will be provided to small and marginal farmers, subject to certain exclusion clauses, on attaining the age of 60.

To promote organic farming in the region, the finance minister has proposed an allocation of Rs 160 crore to Organic Value Chain Development for North East Region.