When the Naga peace talks concluded without a solution, the expectation of the people has been betrayed, and if the negotiating parties cannot come to a settlement, there should be a fresh mandate from the people, said chief minister Neiphiu Rio.
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Correspondent
As the Budget Session of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Tuesday entered its 3rd day, Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, presented a deficit budget of Rs. 2212.74 crore for the financial year 2022-23.
Rio who also holds the finance portfolio, put forth the budget proposals estimating the gross receipts at Rs 23,389.80 crore and gross expenditure at Rs 24,239.50.
Stating that the current year’s transaction (2022-23) is estimated to result in a positive balance of Rs 150.30, Rio said because of the negative balance of Rs 2363.04, the year 2022-23 is estimated to close with a “negative balance” of Rs 2212.74 crore.
The Nagaland Chief Minister added that due to the state’s acute financial condition and the ever growing expenditure of the “Government”, steps have been taken to enhance revenues in various sectors, and also to enhance efficiency.
He said details of how to affect the measures have already been examined and approved by the State Cabinet and would soon be put into effect.
Rio mentioned that both tax and non-tax combined have crossed Rs 1500 crore during 2021-22 and is expected to grow during 2022-23 by about eight percent.
He also said that a significant contribution to the non-tax revenue of the State is expected in the power sector by adding that power revenue is expected to cross Rs 200 crore for the first time.
Attributing pre-paid metering for the improvement in the power sector, Rio said, the Government would continue to expand this initiative.
Rio lays annual administrative reports 2021-2022 of 14 departments
Apart from laying the annual administrative reports 2021-22 of 14 various departments including fisheries and aquatic resources, water resources, power, border affairs and others, Rio also laid the Nagaland State Disaster Management Rules 2007, the Nagaland Government Printing Press (Technical) Amended Service Rules 2022, the Nagaland Public Service Commissioner (Chairman, Members & Staff) Regulations 2008, with amendment up to December 13, 2021, and Nagaland Electricity Regulatory Commission separate audit report for the years 2009-10 to 2017-2018.
Rio, who also holds post of minister in-charge of finance, introduced the Nagaland Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Fifth Amendment) Bill 2022, and also presented the State Finance Audit Report of the Comptroller & Auditor General of India, for the year ending March 31, 2020 (Report No-1 of 2021, Appropriation Accounts 2019-20 and Finance Accounts (Volume 1, II) 2019-2020, including the supplementary demand for grants for the year 2021-2022.
The House also passed the Nagaland Village and Tribal Councils (Fifth Amendment) bill, 2022 and the Nagaland Groundwater (Regulation & Control of development and Management) Bill, 2022.
Later, a discussion on matters of urgent public importance pertaining to “Naga Political Issue” was taken up which was initiated by MLA, Imkong Imchen.
MLA Imkong L Imchen proposes invoking Article 356 in Nagaland if continuation of election is hindrance to ongoing political negotiation
MLA Imkong L. Imchen has said that the Central Government might invoke Article 356 of the Constitution of India if continuance of election system in the State is making any negative hindrance in the ongoing “Political Negotiation”.
While addressing the discussion on matters of urgent matters of public importance pertaining to the “Naga Political Issue” in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, Imchen lamented that it was now 25 years since the “Political Talks” started and yet there was no sign of progress coming out of the negotiations.
He said that several unanimous “resolutions” were adopted by the successive August House but there was no semblance of acknowledgement from any of the negotiating parties, including the Central government.
‘When Naga peace talks concluded without solution, expectation of people was betrayed’: Neiphiu Rio
Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, on Tuesday said that “Naga Political Issue” continues to dominate the minds of the Naga people.
In his concluding remark on the discussion of matters of urgent public importance pertaining to the “Naga Political Issue” on the floor of the NLA, Rio said with this in mind, the 60 elected representatives of the State Assembly came together to play the “role of a facilitator” to expedite the negotiations.
Stating that the Central Government has accepted that the “Naga political issue” is “unique and sensitive” which could only be “solved politically”, Rio said with the “Framework Agreement” signed in August 2015, negotiation and dialogue began and in October 2019, the talk has been concluded, but there were still no words about a solution.
Stressing on that when the talks concluded without a solution, the expectation of the people has been betrayed, and added that if the negotiating parties cannot come to a settlement, there should be a fresh mandate from the people.
However, the Chief Minister said the people should fight for their genuine rights in a peaceful and non-violent manner.
Nagaland government to introduce various schemes
Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, on Tuesday said that the government would introduce the Chief Minister’s Micro Finance Initiative (CMMFI) in the current fiscal to facilitate credit flow to farmers and young entrepreneurs.
Announcing this in his Budget speech, Rio said the scheme would make credit more affordable and available to individuals, Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs.
He said Government would provide for either subsidy or interest subvention against identified activities in the agriculture & allied sectors including for processing units, handicrafts and small-scale manufacturing units.
As a part of this initiative, Rio proposed to remove the stamp duty on crop loans and he later informed that an amount of 65 crore rupees was earmarked for the scheme.
Meanwhile, Rio has also informed that his Government was taking a major step towards universal health coverage for all the citizens and in the current financial year, it would launch “The Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme”.
In his Budget speech presented in the State, Rio said that this scheme would provide every citizen with hospitalization insurance cover of upto Rs 5 lakh per annum, irrespective of the family income.
He maintained that the scheme would provide cashless services for predefined packages covering secondary and tertiary care procedures at empanelled Government or private hospitals, both within and outside the State.