Tuki stresses on retaining Special Category for NE states

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki today reiterated the need for retention of special category status of the Northeastern states and continuation of 90:10 funding pattern.
Attending the final meeting of the sub group on rationalisation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) in New Delhi, Tuki urged for reconsidering the Special Plan Assistance (SPA) to fill up critical infrastructure gap citing the late entry of the state in the journey of development and continued need of support from the Centre, an official release said.
The Chief Minister suggested since the hill states have a different geography and history, the difficulties should be highlighted in the sub group's recommendation.

"This will have a bearing on the future policy decisions on other development plans of the Centre," he said.
"I have submitted a draft chapter - Need for Special Dispensations for Hilly States. This will also justify our recommendation for a special sharing pattern for these states," he said and further pitched for a transparent formula for horizontal distribution of resources among the states.
On the delinked schemes, Tuki suggested a separate dispensation be recommended for the hilly states and made specific mention of the SPA projects, which involve huge funding and urged that the resource envelop should be kept at least at par with the last year's level.

He requested that the salary components of the delinked schemes be supported till the end of the 12th Five Year Plan or two years for hill states, the release said.
The Sub Group would submit the final recommendations to the Prime Minister on July 5 next, it added.