Al Ngullie
Morung Express News
Dimapur | June 5
Armed with “some problems relating to finance” Chief Minister of Nagaland Neiphiu Rio today attended the Tuesday conclave of North East Region chief ministers convened by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi today.
When Rio returns to Nagaland from News Delhi in the next few days, he would be returning with Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s assurance that the Centre would definitely help the NE States, including Nagaland to raise loans from the market to aid development of state infrastructure and communications sectors.
However, except for a hint here and a touch there, the Nagaland government is basically tight-lipped on the agenda the chief minister may have taken to the meeting which also saw discussions with the Finance Minister.
A government leader had informed Monday that the chief minister of Nagaland and his team would be attending the conclave armed with issues related to “non plan expenditure” of Nagaland State and other “financial problems.”
Chief Secretary of Nagaland Lalthara had said Monday that the government would be attending the meeting with issues such as “non plan expenditure” and “other financial problems.” He had not elaborated what they specifically were though. Attending the meeting with the Nagaland chief minister was Finance Commissioner Toshi Aier. Also, Chief Secretary Lalthara is understood to have attended the meeting.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had convened the ‘special meeting’ reportedly to evolve strategies to accelerate development. In today’s meeting, he assured the NE chief ministers that the Central Government will support development of the North Eastern states, and would definitely help them raise loans from the market.
“If any State faced a problem on account of an undersubscribed market loan, the Centre would be ready to raise the loan within the permitted borrowing ceiling, and pass it on to the concerned state,” he told the small group of chief ministers.
Mukherjee also promised that the Finance Ministry would soon issue notifications to provide tax relief to industry in the region, a source said.
Mukherjee said that the Centre is aware of the special issues that define the North East Region including low resource mobilization and challenge of infrastructural development. He said that the “State’s specific grants’ recommended by the 13th Finance Commission would be released as well.
‘Based on an appreciation of these challenges, the Central Government had accorded special category status to North Eastern States, so as to assist them in their efforts to raise their economies to the level of other States,’ Mukherjee said.
According to reports from news agencies, the chief ministers also interacted in an informal discussion with the Finance Minister. As part of the Centre’s commitment to assist the North eastern States in developing their communications and infrastructural needs, Mukherjee informed the chief ministers that he has ‘asked’ the income tax authorities to exempt tax on permitted excise duty refunds for industries in NE.
‘If any State faces a problem on account of an undersubscribed market loan, the Centre would be ready to raise the loan within the State’s permitted borrowing ceiling, and pass it on to the concerned State,’ he said in assurance.
He has assured the chief ministers ‘all possible help’ to implement infrastructure projects, with a view to speed up development of the region as part of the country’s Look East policy.
