NEW DELHI/AGARTALA, Nov 14 (TIWN): Chief Minister's sub group on rationalization of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSSs) under the aegis of NITI Aayog has made key recommendations which are likely to benefit the eight Northeastern States of India.

The Sub-Group undertook extensive consultations with the Central Ministries, including the Ministry of Finance, NITI Aayog and States and UTs including those which were not represented by their Chief Ministers/ LGs in the Sub-Group.
The Sub-Group itself met four times and has finalized its recommendations on the basis of such extensive consultations.

In this endeavor, the Sub Group has been assisted by a Working Group of senior officers drawn from NITI Aayog, Central Ministries and States/UTs.

Excerpts of the recommendations 

1. Sectors/ tasks/objectives like Poverty Elimination including MGNREGA and Schemes for social inclusion; Drinking water and Swachh Bharat Mission; Rural Connectivity including Electrification; Access Roads and Communications; Agriculture including Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Irrigation; Education including Mid Day Meal; Health, Nutrition, Women and Children; Housing for All: Urban Transformation and Law and Order and Justice Delivery System would be Core Sectors as they constitute important elements of the National DevelopmentAgenda.
   MGNREGA and Schemes for Social inclusion would be accorded highest priority.

2)   Accordingly, existing CSS should be divided into: Core and Optional schemes.

3)   Amongst the Core Schemes, those for social protection and social inclusion should form the Core of the Core and be the first charge on available funds for the National Development Agenda.

4)  Ordinarily, in any sector there should be one Umbrella scheme having the same funding pattern for all its sub-components.

5)  Investment levels in Core Schemes should be maintained so as to ensure that the optimum size of the programme does not shrink.
6)  Funds for Optional Schemes would be allocated to States by the Ministry of Finance as a lump sum and States would be free to choose which Optional Schemes they wish to implement.
Additionally, the States have been given the flexibility of portability of funds from optional schemes ( should it choose not to utilize to utilize its entire allocation under that head) to any other CSS component within the overall allocation for the state under CASP.
7)  From now onwards, the sharing pattern should be: 
For Core Schemes a) For 8 NE and 3 Himalayan States: Centre: State: 90:10
b) For other States: Centre: State: 60:40 
c) For Union Territories: Centre: 100% .
For Optional Schemes
a) For 8 NE and 3 Himalayan States: Centre: State: 80:20
b) For other States: Centre: State: 50:50
c) For Union Territories: Centre: 100%
8)  Existing funding pattern for schemes classified as Core of the Core should continue.