Nagaland CM requests Jaitley for financial support

Kohima, Jul 15: Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang has requested Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to bail out the state from the current financial crisis.

The chief minister has apprised Jaitley of the state's Balance from Current Revenues (BCR) of 2013-14 and the response from the previous union government to the problems faced by the state during a meeting with him in New Delhi yesterday, a communique issued by the Nagaland House Delhi, which reached here, said.

According to the communique, Zeliang told the Union Finance Minister Nagaland about the alleged discrimination shown to Nagaland by the previous UPA government whereas other states in the region such as Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and Sikkim were provided with more than the fund required to cover their BCR.

Zeliang informed Jaitley that Nagaland received a meager amount of Rs 850 crore against the requirement of Rs 1440.35 crore to square up the BCR gap which caused the state to land on "unimaginable deficit," the communique said. In response, Jaitley assured that all states would be invited for discussion soon after the reconstitution of the Planning Commission and would look into all the aspects of financial problems faced by various states, it said.

The chief minister was accompanied by the state Minister for Environment and Forest Dr Nicky Kire and Minister for Power Kipilli Sangtam.

PTI