Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh sent Rs 1 crore to the Assam Chief Minister's Relief Fund this week. The money helps flood response efforts. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma went to social media on Tuesday to thank the people of Manipur for their "generous contribution" to the state.
While Manipur opened its wallet for neighbors, its own federal funding remains in limbo. The Union Finance Ministry confirms it has not received a formal proposal from Manipur for the second installment of cash under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure scheme for 2025-26. Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary addressed the gap during a Lok Sabha session. He answered an inquiry from Angomcha Bimol Akoijam regarding Manipur's economic and humanitarian needs.
Records show the Centre set aside Rs 700 crore for 105 projects in Manipur for 2025-26. Officials already released an initial Rs 310.66 crore. Getting the rest requires the state to submit utilization reports and project proposals. Nationwide, the scheme now holds a budget of Rs 2 lakh crore.
The central government also created a sub-scheme titled Pride of Hills for 2026-27. It carries a Rs 25,000 crore budget for hill states. Manipur gets a separate earmark of Rs 2,400 crore from that pool. From 2020-21 through August 5, 2026, the state received Rs 3,869.74 crore in total assistance. Annual releases fluctuated from Rs 317.16 crore in 2020-21 to a peak of Rs 1,436.82 crore in 2024-25. So far in 2026-27, the state has received Rs 21.44 crore.
Standard funding flows through central sector allocations and Finance Commission transfers. The 16th Finance Commission kept the state tax devolution share at 41 per cent. Authorities assess state financial needs every five years.
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