New Delhi, April 25 (MExN): A delegation of Nagaland BJP legislators today requested Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for special Central assistance to the State.
It requested for one time grant of Rs. 1400 crore to wipe out the State’s budgetary deficit and to provide the long pending amount of Rs. 863 crore for completion of SPA projects sanctioned by erstwhile Planning Commission and also recommended by NITI Aayog.
The delegation led by Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton had met the Union Minister at his residential office in New Delhi.
According to a press release from PRO (IPR), Nagaland House, New Delhi, the delegation also requested that the State share towards CSS, NEC and NLCPR should be waived off in case of all revenue deficits as there are no resources to provide for the State share.
A request was also made to sanction two immediate special packages of untied funds to meet development needs of most backward areas of Eastern Nagaland and also for building an airport in Kohima.
Further, the delegation prayed for an immediate solution to the Naga political issue, saying the people of Nagaland had agreed to an election this time only in anticipation of a quick solution to the long standing problem, which also hinders the State’s development.
It was informed that the BJP ministers and MLAs had stated that the Central government must realise that a revenue deficit State like Nagaland cannot develop at all if Central assistance is not provided.
The development needs for Nagaland for many years were met by liberal grants under State Plan, which all stopped with the replacement of Planning Commission by NITI Aayog, they had pointed out. Furthermore, even enhancement of devolution by 14th Finance Commission did not have additional positive impact on finances of the State because of it being revenue deficit, they added.
“Ironically had there been no enhancement in devolution, Nagaland would have got a much larger revenue deficit grant. So that reality is that the State is actually receiving share in Central taxes at much lower rate than what was computed by 14th Finance Commission due to much lesser realisation of Central taxes vis-a-vis what was estimated by Finance Commission, because of which there is a huge budgetary deficit,” the release quoted.
