Plan panel abolition causes Tripura Rs 1,356-cr loss

Following the abolition of the Planning Commission of India and the adoption of a new policy at the Centre, Tripura lost Rs 1,356 crore in 2015-16, an official statement said here on Friday.

"The Government of India has stopped various central aids and changed the sharing pattern for the centrally-sponsored schemes (CSS), which caused Tripura a net loss of Rs 1,356 crore in the last financial year (2015-16)," the statement said.

It said that the central government has stopped funding under normal central assistance, special plan assistance and special central assistance. Besides, the fund flow under some major schemes has got reduced by Rs 314.72 crore during 2015-16.

The Tripura government statement came in response to the NITI Aayog member Bibek Debroy's criticism of the state government's "laxity in utilisation of central funds".

Debroy, who was here last week in connection with the "North East Connectivity Summit", said that it is not correct that the Tripura government was getting less funding from the Centre after the abolition of the Planning Commission.

While addressing the summit, organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar had said: "With the abolition of Planning Commission and new policy of NITI Aayog, Tripura is losing Rs 1,800 crore every year. How we would develop our infrastructure if the Centre does not help us?"

Referring to Debroy's contention on the "failure" of Tripura government to submit utilisation certificates (UCs) of central fund of Rs 475 crore sanctioned to various projects, the statement said that UCs for Rs 174 crore had already been submitted and that UCs of the remaining amount would be submitted to the Centre after completion of the various projects.

Debroy had also stated that the Tripura government failed to prepare any vision document.

"The vision document is under preparation and it would be submitted to the NITI Aayog after completion. The matter was discussed at a national conference in Delhi on July 27, 2016," the official statement added.

Debroy, who is looking after the affairs of northeastern states on behalf of the NITI Aayog, had said it would aid, facilitate and monitor governmental schemes, plans and projects in the country.

"Services sector, like higher education, health, bio-technology and tourism, can be the priority sectors for development. Poor condition of the national highways in the region must be improved at once. Medium, small and micro industries have great scope in the northeast," he had observed.

--IANS

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