Kohima: Nagaland picked up 524 crore today. This cash injection is part of an additional 1.09 lakh crore released by the Centre to states nationwide. It hit state accounts ahead of the regular August 10 monthly schedule. The money aims to beef up state finances, speeding up development and capital spending.
Other North Eastern states also landed significant funds. Assam received 3,413 crore, Arunachal Pradesh 1,920 crore, and Manipur 762 crore. Meghalaya took 849 crore, Mizoram got 618 crore, Tripura saw 943 crore, and Sikkim received 365 crore. Across the country, Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 19,208 crore, followed by Bihar with 10,845 crore.
The Finance Ministry stated the cash helps states fuel growth. Similar moves happened last October when the Centre dropped 1,01,603 crore as an advance instalment. Despite these handouts, the Centre faces rising red ink. The national fiscal deficit reached 3.07 lakh crore in the first quarter of the 2026-27 financial year, representing 18.2 per cent of the annual budget estimate. This is up from 2.81 lakh crore or 17.9 per cent during the same window last year.
Nagaland Chief Minister Dr. Neiphiu Rio thanked federal leadership for the support. He expressed "gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman" for the early release of these funds.
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