Lockdown: Nagaland faces 'financial crunch'; seeks Centre's help
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has recently written aletter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a specialdispensation to help the state tide over the crisis,Additional Chief Secretary and Finance CommissionerSentiyanger Imchen said.
The state government has estimated that its currentmonthly receipt is at Rs 732.22 crore while total expenditureincluding salaries, pension, interest payments, power purchaseand other recurring expenses amounts to Rs 811.84 crore,resulting in a shortfall of Rs 79.62 crore per month, Imchensaid.
"With such huge shortfall in our revenue, I amconcerned that we may struggle to pay even salaries andpensions," Rio said in the letter.
He also urged the prime minister to "release thepending fund of Rs 529 crore under the Special Plan Assistancewhich the NITI Aayog has already cleared".
"It is clear that the shortfall in the coming monthsmay be higher than what we have initially anticipated," Imchensaid.
One person from Nagaland had tested positive forCOVID-19 in Assam but no coronavirus case has been reported inthe state, the official said.
The finance commissioner said the state government hasbeen taking several initiatives and spent Rs 30 crore from itsown resources to tackle the outbreak.
The state has so far received Rs 7.42 crore from theCentre and Rs 3 crore from the North Eastern Council to combatthe COVID-19 pandemic, he added. NBSBDC BDC