Kohima, June 16: Nagaland has decided to downsize its ministry. Chief minister Neiphiu Rio said the Centre was informed of the state’s problems in implementing the parliamentary legislation. “They told us that an amendment would be required if the demands of the states were to be met,” Rio told reporters last evening. “For now we will have to implement it.”
Several members of the current ministry fear being excluded from the new council. After July 7, there will be 12 instead of 36 ministers, including the chief minister.
Nagaland will reportedly save more than Rs 20 crore after the ministry is pruned. Finance minister K. Therie, however, denied the report, arguing that the budgetary provision for ministers was only Rs 1.24 crore.
Rio said all the tribes would not be represented in the new council of ministers, “but for us everyone is equally important”.
The chief minister, accompanied by several senior ministers, visited Delhi twice this year to press for waiving of the new downsizing law for Nagaland. Other states like Arunachal Pradesh had also sought exemption. The Nagaland government had argued that the social fabric of the state with the multiple tribes would make downsizing difficult. The government has begun charting out its plans for downsizing.