Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Sunday that all northeastern states have approached Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the withdrawal of the revenue gap fund, a transfer recommended by the 16th Finance Commission. The central government’s decision to discontinue the fund has created fiscal pressure for smaller states, including Tripura.
Saha told reporters that during a meeting in Shillong the northeastern bloc highlighted the issue, noting that the stoppage will deprive Tripura of roughly Rs 4,000 crore each year. The Centre has introduced a scheme called “Pride of Hills” to partially offset the shortfall, but the chief minister described the amount as insufficient to meet the state’s budgetary needs.
He assured that the state’s ongoing recruitment drive for various government departments will not be affected, provided there are no technical hurdles. The government remains committed to filling vacant posts as quickly as possible.
Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy echoed the concerns, saying the Finance Commission’s recommendations emphasized raising state revenues while withdrawing the gap fund. He projected a cumulative loss of Rs 20,000 crore over five years and noted that the chief minister has already raised the matter with the Centre. Roy added that a process has begun to constitute the 8th Pay Commission to review pay scales for the public workforce.
