Kohima: Congress on Friday lambasted the BJP government at the Centre for withdrawing the special category status from the north eastern States, including Nagaland saying it will leave them in lurch.
The Nagaland PCC in a release here said Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has defended the withdrawal claiming that it was based on the recommendation of the 14th Finance Commission.
But such withdrawal of special category status can never be based on technical decision alone. It is a political decision and therefore the BJP cannot shift blame on the 14th Finance Commission.
“Removal of Special Category status will leave all the NE states in a lurch,” the release said.
“When special category states like Nagaland are unable to even provide 10 per cent matching grant towards 90:10 funding ratio and are demanding 100 per cent assistance, removal of special category status will lead to providing 25-70 per cent matching grant that will surely sound a death knell for resource crunch states,” the release said.
NPCC said infrastructure development is still in the nascent stages in the NE states because of the multiple insurgency problem, while corporate and FDI investment are “far-fetched dreams” for them.
Stating that NPF-led DAN government in Nagaland is the only NE state which supports BJP at the centre, Congress said “If Chief Minister TR Zeliang is really serious about the condition of the state, they (DAN) should withdraw support to BJP government immediately and extend solidarity with other NE States demanding continuation of Special Category Status till insurgency related problems are resolved and infrastructure brought at par with other states.”
“Restoration of Special Category Status is not the only objective but the need to revise and enhance the provisions to cater for the growth of economy and empowerment of the youth with more investments needed in employment oriented projects and industries,” the release said.
The Congress also maintained that the “discriminatory attitude” of the BJP government towards the NE states is plainly evident despite their rhetoric at every opportunity.
“The brazen display of talks about the majority sentiments is nothing but an imposition on other minorities of what the majority thinks and acts,” the Congress said adding that it was clearly an attempt to divide the society and would have disastrous consequences in the near future. (PTI)
