(DJ)
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has sought Rs 2,000 crore per annum as special assistance from the Centre against the loss being suffered by the state due to the new set of recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission.Addressing the third meeting of Niti Aayog presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat called for providing assistance to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore per annum to Uttarakhand as compensation against the annual loss of Rs 1,500 crore being suffered by the state due to the 14th Finance Commission’s new recommendations.
Appealing for setting up of a separate ministry for development of hill states, the Chief Minister said a separate ministry for hill states like Uttarakhand and Himachal and North-Eastern states which would help prepare a better development strategy for these states.The Chief Minister said based on a combined report of the Central Statistics Department and the Indian Forest Management Institute, Uttarakhand was providing eco-services worth Rs 40,000 crore annually to the nation and thus must be granted the annual Green Bonus to the tune of at least Rs 4,000 crore as compensation.
