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It’s common knowledge that Nagaland is highly dependent on funds from the central government to maintain fiscal stability. It has the lowest own revenue among the states and union territories in India, as per the report released by the PRS Legislative Research last year. The deficit budgets presented by successive governments, year after year, also clearly indicate poor economic health. Despite low revenue, the main source of income for the people of the state is salaries through government jobs. In short, we are basically a salaried economy. Legislators and officials have been repeatedly reminding how a chunk of the state’s exchequer is going towards the payment of salaries to government employees and its ramifications. Much has also been talked about the need to shed the craze for government jobs, citing saturation, and create jobs instead by taking up entrepreneurship. It’s encouraging that these talks are making a significant positive impact. At least the rise in small enterprises says so, thanks to the start-up policy of the state government besides the growing general awareness about the need to foray into the business sector. Despite this positive development, it will take time to do away with dependency on the government for revenue, be it through jobs, schemes for start-ups, or events, as the practice has been normalised over the years.
While the state is heavily dependent on the government of India for funds both for executive purposes and developmental activities, people of the state, both individuals and organisations, are increasingly becoming overly dependent on the state. Many expect the government to provide financial assistance for almost all activities, from local sports events to festivals. It’s an open secret that one of the chief reasons for inviting legislators and government officials to events is funds. Those who do not donate are likely to be criticised. But will legislators donate from their salaries? It’s unlikely, and we are all aware that such donations could be from funds meant for development activities. This is how we shoot ourselves in the foot, knowingly. And this is how we drain the funds of the state. Overdependence on the government runs deep in our society, but it has to go. We want the state to grow and hold the government accountable for lack of infrastructure. We have to break this vicious circle of ‘overdependence’ on government and draining of public funds. The sooner, the better. We can’t afford to divert developmental funds to festivities, unproductive enterprises, and localised events.