Dimapur, June 17 (MExN): Offering some respite for state government employees, the Centre has decided to release Rs.712 crore for implementation of the 6th RoP in Nagaland effective from April 1, 2010. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio made the announcement on his return from Delhi today. Rio was in Delhi to discuss the annual plan 2010-11 with the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Dr. Montek Singh Aluwalia.
Briefing media persons in Dimapur, Rio said Dr. Ahluwalia has agreed to ‘take care’ of the shortfall in the salary expenditure of Rs. 712 Crore. The amount of Rs. 632 Crore was stated to be for the Revised Pay affecting from April 2010, including the additional Rs. 80 crore being offered by the government to the employees as “notational” from the RoP affecting of June 1, 2008. The chief minister said the shortage in salary has been taken care of while finalizing the Plan for 2010-2011. The size of the Plan was stated at Rs. 1500 crore the Chief Minister said.
Rio said the plan size for 2010-11- equal to plan size of 2009-10 - has been accepted considering the fact that the “state could not ask for more.” He said had it not been for the problem of salary, the plan size for 2010-11 would have been Rs.2212 crore. “I thought it prudent to sacrifice a larger plan size to pave the path for meeting the demands of the employees for salary revision and avoid the course of retrenchment of government employees adopted by the 13th Finance Commission,” Rio asserted.
The CM had taken up the matter of adverse recommendation of the 13th Finance Commission with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Dr. Ahluwalia.
Governor Nikhil Kumar has also requested the Union Finance Minister for a sympathetic dispensation to redress the problem faced by Nagaland government. The CM has thanked the Governor in solving the grave financial problem being faced by the state.
Meanwhile, Rio also attended the Chief Ministers conference at Bihar on June 14. He attended the tripartite meeting with Union Finance Minister and bank heads to discuss cash credit flow in the state. Rio said he raised concerns about the non-availability of loans for rural people in the state. He explained the concept of Village Development Board and that it could act as guarantor and help in recovery of loans for rural people.
