Nagaland: Tokheho Yephtomi seeks more funding for NE states

Dimapur, July 9 (EMN): Lok Sabha member from Nagaland Tokheho Yepthomi has asked the central government to revise the allocation of fund to NE states under North East Council and Non Lapsable Central Pool of Resources schemes.

A press release from the MP’s office on Tuesday informed that Yepthomi was participating in the Union Budget debate on July 8 when he made the suggestion. “…he highlighted that the total allocation has stagnated for the past few years. The stagnation of financial allocation will make it very difficult for the region to develop at par with the rest of the country. He also reiterated the dependence on roads in the north-eastern region,” it stated.

Yepthomi also highlighted the problems faced by Natural Rubber Industry in the country. According to him, natural rubber farmers in the South and Northeast India were facing difficulties due to increased import of rubber from Southeast Asian countries.

There has been a sharp fall in rubber prices over the last few years due to low import taxes, which results in decrease in domestic rubber prices, he said.

Yepthomi urged the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to hike duty on import of natural rubber to enable domestic rubber farmers to get a good price for their produce.