N-E CMs to meet PM for special category status
NEW DELHI: Cutting across parties, all chief ministers of the eight Northeastern states will submit a joint resolution to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking to retain the regions’ states in the special category status (SCS).
“We have all agreed to fight together to press for retaining the special category status for the region. We have studied the budget document and the Fourteenth Finance Commission award in detail and have come to the common conclusion that the Centre is rapidly squeezing our finances. This is not acceptable. We will meet the PM again on this,” Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar told HT. “We wanted to adopt the resolution in the Northeastern Council meet in Delhi last week but the DoNER minister did not allow it. We found his reaction to be rather unusual,” said Sarkar, adding, “We are waiting now as the PM is out of the country. We will approach him as soon as he returns and seek an appointment to elaborate our stand”.
Based on special requirements, due to economic backwardness and lack of development, the eight N-E states were categorised as SCS states which entails central plan assistance on liberal terms.
“Endowed with immense natural resources, the N-E is a region of enormous potential. But there is no development due to a lack of infrastructure, connectivity and geographical factors. SCS was to help us overcome our shortcomings. Abrogating it will result in immense suffering in the N-E. The entre should think about this deeply,” said Arunachal Pradesh CM Nabam Tuki.
While the Fourteenth Finance Commission recommended an increase in devolution share of resources to states from the divisible pool of central resources from the earlier 32% to 42%, the 2015-16 Budget did not make any mention about the SCS.
“SCS has been there since a long time and abrogating it at this point of time will harm our ongoing developmental effort,” said Mizoram CM Lal Thanhawla.