Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang, held a meeting with the 16th Finance Commission in New Delhi today.

In a post on social media platform X, Rio expressed his heartfelt appreciation to the Commission, which is chaired by Dr. Arvind Panagariya, for their ongoing support and commitment to the development of Nagaland.

“Held a meeting with the 16th Finance Commission, accompanied by Dy. CM Shri @TRZeliang. I express my sincere gratitude to the Commission, led by Chairman Dr. Arvind Panagariya @APanagariya, for their continued support and commitment towards the development of the State,” Rio wrote.

It may be recalled that during Dr. Panagariya’s visit to Nagaland in November 2024, CM Rio had appealed for an allocation of funds over the next five years to address the state’s financial challenges and support infrastructure and economic growth. He emphasized that such funding is vital to bridge resource gaps and ensure equitable progress for Nagaland in line with other regions of the country.

Download Nagaland Tribune app on Google Play

Dr Panagariya had mentioned that the Finance Commission is responsible for advising on the vertical devolution of resources, which defines the division of the divisible pool between the Centre and states, as well as the horizontal devolution, determining how states’ shares are distributed between states based on criteria such as per capita income, population, forest area among others.

The Commission also makes recommendations on the grants to be given to local bodies which come from the Consolidated Fund of India and it also make recommendations on disaster reliefs grants, he had said.

Today’s meeting reaffirms Nagaland’s continued engagement with the Commission as it prepares its recommendations, which will shape the fiscal landscape for the next five years.