‘State could not develop socio-economic infrastructure due to meager fund released by GoI’
Our Correspondent
Kohima | November 29
Nagaland state government in its memorandum submitted to the 15th Finance Commission stated that the development fund received during 56 years i.e. since inception of the state from 1961-62 to 2017-18 is approximately Rs. 26781.39 crore.
The memorandum said that the stated fund is barely the cost of a major project in some states.
“This amount excludes the flagship programs before 2014-15, which were not initially routed through the Consolidated Fund of the State and other direct funding schemes such as National Highways, etc.,” the memorandum stated.
While acknowledging the grants provided by the central government to meet the establishment and administrative cost of the state, the memorandum stated that due to huge expenditure requirements on account of salaries, wages and pension payments, the fund releases of the Government of India have not been adequate for infrastructure development of the state.
“Development has also been hampered due to non-settlement of the prolonged Naga political issue; in which the state had to focus its resources on maintenance of law and order rather than on development activities,” the memorandum added.
“Although Nagaland is the second oldest state in the North East region, we have been left behind in many socio-economic and infrastructure development areas with the other sister states of the region,” it observed.
After initiation of peace talks with the Government of India by the Naga Political Groups, the law and order situation has now improved substantially and now is the right time for the state to focus on socio- economic and infrastructure development, it stated.
The memo further viewed one of the main reasons why the state could not develop its socio-economic infrastructure was due to meager fund released by the Government of India for development works.
