Agartala (Tripura): During upcoming 69th plenary session of the North Eastern Council, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar is expected to pitch hard for augmenting allocation and changing the funding pattern to help the state bounce back on the development track.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to attend the session which will be held in Shillong.
Since the resource mobilization in the State was badly hit due to the pandemic, the chief minister is expected to pitch hard for altering funding pattern of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS), Central Assistance to State Plan (CASP) schemes and externally aided projects.
At present, for CSS and CASP schemes, the funding pattern is 90:10. However, due to Covid, it would be tough for a small state like Tripura to manage 10 per cent State share and implement the scheme properly. Deb may bat for cent per cent central funding for schemes CSS and CASP.
On a similar note for Externally Aided Projects (EAPs), NE States have to shoulder 20 per cent burden of a project and the remaining 80 per cent comes as loan. Already, Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma has requested Union Finance Minister Sitharaman to reduce the State share. The Chief Minister is expected to seek total exemption of the burden.
Another important point that Deb may highlight is the issue of 12 per cent of NEC budget allocation based on certain parameters. However, Tripura has been allocated only 5.7 per cent from 2016-17 to 2020-21. Deb is unlikely to miss the point but urge the NEC to follow the decided 12 per cent allocation norm.
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Besides, NEC recommended only 3 projects out of the priority list of 10 projects of the State Government. For reviving the State economy, Deb is expected to push for NEC recommendation of the remaining 7 projects with estimated cost to be more than Rs 86 crore.
Apart from raising demand for fund allocations, Biplab Kumar Deb has tales of successes in different sectors. The trade volume is up from Rs 390.68 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 675 crore in 2019-20. Importantly, the volume of export witnessed around 5 times growth as it increased from Rs 6.46 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 30.34 crore in 2019-20.
An inspiring achievement during Corona period is the utilization of the State’s natural resource Bamboo in innovative manners. Bamboo bottles, brooms were manufactured in the current FY and were marketed by Bamboo and Cane Development Institute (BCDI) with the assistance of Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Vikas Karyakram (PMVDVK). Also, Tripura, for the first time produced, Muli Bamboo cookies.
As far as Scheme implementation is concerned, Tripura has done fairly well. Tripura has become ‘best-performing state’ in the category of NE States in India and second best-performing state in the country under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban). Also, Tripura tasted huge success in electrification under Saubhagya scheme.
No doubt, with the entire economy of the country in a perilous condition, Tripura Chief Minister’s job at NEC plenary session would be tough – however, with the kind of success that Tripura has achieved, it is imperative that NEC considers the demands raised by Deb and allow the Government to expedite growth process, experts opined.
