Nagaland Govt assures to release Rs 8 Crores to NCSU

KOHIMA, APRIL 1 (MExN): The Nagaland State Finance Department has assured to release Rs 8 Crore, under D.NO. 27 – Planning Department, for clearance of pending liabilities to the Nagaland Contractors and Suppliers Union (NCSU). In a communiqué to the President of the NCSU, the Finance Department informed that the file for release of the said amount was received by the department on March 28 and the matter was intimated to the Chief Minister on the same day.

It stated that although the CM had initially approved for release of the amount, the decision for payment to NCSU and several government departments had to be reviewed due to short receipt of Rs 624.90 Crores of the anticipated Central Assistance to the State Plan, during 2013-14, from the Government of India.

In addition, there is a short receipt of Rs 90.52 crores under the state’s share of Central Taxes from the Government of India during the current year 2013-14, added the Finance Department. As such, it lamented that the government has “no other option but to withhold the release of Rs 8.00 Crores until such time the resource position of the state improves.”

However, it assured that the state government would accord top priority in releasing the amount, “as soon as we receive the expected pending grants from the Government of India.”

The communiqué further informed that despite resource constraints faced by the state on account of the adverse recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission, the state government has, from 2005-06 till date, released an amount of Rs 59.59 Crores for payment of pending liabilities to the members of the NCSU. It also said that in order to determine the genuineness of the ever increasing pending liabilities of the NCSU, the state government had, in November 2013, set-up a Committee. The Committee recommended an amount of Rs 35.84 crores as the outstanding amount towards pending liabilities of the members of the NCSU. Out of that amount, Rs 10.00 Crores have since been released, leaving a balance of Rs 25.84 crores.

NCSU informs members
Meanwhile, the NCSU head office Kohima has appealed for all bonafide members of the union to wait patiently till the department fulfills its assurances. This was stated in a press note from NCSU President Pele Khezhie and General Secretary John Kath.