AGARTALA: Tripura has demanded special financial provision in the next budget as 13th Finance Commission had deprived the state to a large extent.
Finance Minister Badal Choudhury placed this demand in a written speech in the pre-budget discussion of Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee with his state counterparts on Thursday.
Mr Choudhury could not attend the discussion because of two-day long CPI (M) Central Committee meeting in Kolkata, which ended on Thursday.
He mentioned that the state was deprived from getting gap grant of Rs 10,499 Cr for next five years.
Besides reducing the financial assistance for developmental activities, the Central government has reduced the scope of fresh employment, he added.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress has lashed out at the state government and termed it as ‘irresponsible’ and ‘non-committed’ towards public cause.
The party leaders said Mr Mukherjee did not want any written speech of financial demands rather the meeting was intended to understand the people’s expectation through it’s state government.
Ruling out the allegation against 13th Finance Commission, leader of the opposition Ratan Lal Nath said, “The commission had hiked the amount of gap grant substantially and in many cases FC had awarded big amount as compared to 12th Finance Commission. (UNI)