Agartala, Nov 14 (IANS) Tripura has sought a Rs.2,125 crore green bonus from the 14th Finance Commission as it is ahead in aforestation in the country, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said here Thursday.
"Our (Tripura's) forest cover is 73 percent (of the state's 10,491.69 sq km area). Our efforts to keep the ecological balance of the country must be appreciated by allocating Rs.2,125 crore as a green bonus," Sarkar told reporters.
"We have also demanded Rs.1,250 crore to mitigate the affect of climate change." he added
Sarkar said that as vast areas were under forest cover, the government is facing a land crisis for developmental work and infrastructural development.
The 14th Finance Commission (2015-16 to 2019-20) led by former Reserve Bank of India governor Y.V. Reddy, after its three-day visit to Tripura ,left here Thursday for Kolkata for talks with the West Bengal governemnt.
Tripura's Left Front government has sought a total of Rs.67,104 crore from the Finance Commission.
The state government urged the panel against depriving of financial aid from the central government as in the past, the chief minister said.
"The 13th Finance Commission had deprived Tripura to a large extent and put the state government in an awkward position in the matter of providing salaries, allowances, pensions to the government employees, pension holders and other vital sectors' development," he added.
Tripura had sought around Rs.27,000 crore from the central government. The 13th Finance Commission had recommended Rs.16,350 crore in 2009.
"Like other states, we have also demanded the Commission to recommend a 50 percent share of central taxes. We urgently need Rs.2,890 crore for infrastructural development in the districts and projects in the education, health, agriculture and irrigation sectors," Sarkar said.
"As the other states in India demanded, we also wanted for equal vertical distribution of central taxes between the centre and the states," he added.
"To take up suitable projects of livelihood for the tribals, we have sought Rs.407 crore from the Finance Commission."
During the deliberations with the panel, the government stressed the need of developing the rail, road and telecommunication network.
"The consequence of the three decades of terrorism in the state has been explained to the commission," Sarkar said.
It is very essential to assess the fund requirements for the state on a realistic basis rather than a normative basis for all northeastern states, Sarkar pointed out.
The six-member 14th Finance Commission will make its recommendations to the central government by Oct 2014 on the sharing of central taxes, principles governing grants-in-aid to states and transfer of resources to local bodies.
Before submitting its recommendation, the commission would visit all the states in India. The panel so far visited 10 states, including three in the northeast - Tripura, Nagaland and Manipur.
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Comments:
Vissionary
November 14, 2013 at 8:11 PM
Really hope leadership in CENTER, TRIPURA Govt and Other Concerned DIGNITARIES takes a FUTURISTIC and PROGRESSIVE approach and goes BIG to put TRIPURA in the GLOBAL IT RADAR and transform into next IT and Technology powerhouse of INDIA !!
Really hope BUSINESS CONGLOMERATES establishes their presence in TRIPURA which shares boundaries with Bangladesh and have a direct proximity (through Mizoram) with Myanmar!
Not a single High Tech corporate, Big IT MNCs, Renowned HOSPITAL Chains, BEST of Higher Educational Institutes, World Class (5 Star) Hotels and Luxury Shopping Malls have presence in TRIPURA - Being the 2nd highest POPULUS state in NE and literacy rate crossing 90% (no of unemployment stands 6 lakhs!), need of the hour is to set up IT zones, Industrial corridors (in the line of DELHI-MUMBAI corridor) with invitation to Big IT MNCs (IBM,Accenture,TCS, Infosys, Wipro,HCL,Cognizant), World Class Hospital Chains (FORTIS, APPOLO,MANIPAL), World Class Hotel Chains (Taj, Leela, Oberoi, ITC), world class Retail outlet chains (Walmart, IKEA, Pantaloons,Shoppers Stop, Croma, Reliance Retail etc) to set up their presence at AGARTALA!
TRIPURA is also home to massive talent pool with combination of huge number of working professionals (working in other Metros and abroad currently), local educated youths, youths (and working professionals) from neighboring NORTHEAST states and legal working professionals from Bangladesh and Neighboring countries!
IMPOSSIBLE - just means I AM POSSIBLE! If India need to catch up with developed part of the world,the most strategically placed Northeast (especially TRIPURA) need to be made into a developed region in the shortest possible time!
I strongly believe TRIPURA govt (in close co-ordination with Center, other concerned dignitaries & all corporate vissionaries) can certainly achieve this sooner rather than late, which would definitely give its people a better employment opportunities, a better healthcare, a better access to quality education, a quality lifestyle, and last but not the least a confident and connected TRIPURA leading India's charge towards contributing to a more stable and stronger global economy!!