Assam House passes resolution on Special Category status

PTI
Guwahati, March 4

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]ssam Legislative Assembly today unanimously passed a resolution requesting the Centre to continue with the Special Category status for the state, ensuring larger share of central assistance to various schemes.
“The resolution is unanimously passed,” Assembly Speaker Pranab Kumar Gogoi said in the House.
Earlier, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rockybul Hussain introduced a resolution in the House that sought greater share of central funding in the schemes by the Union government.
Hussain said central share in Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan scheme is 70 per cent, while the same for Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashastrikaran Yojana is 75 per cent.The central assistance in schemes like Command Areas Development, National Mission on Agriculture Extension and Technology and Assistance to State for Infrastructure Development for exports have been fixed at 50 per cent, 75 per cent and 80 per cent respectively, he added.
“The state expresses deep concern at the above departure from the entitled Special Category status…It may be stated that Assam is a resource poor state and the internal generation of revenue resources cannot commensurate with the salary expenditure,” the Minister said.
He further said the salary expenditure percentage, which is estimated to be 60-65 per cent in 2014-15, will increase more once the state government implements the 7th Central Pay Commission’ recommendations for the pay and pension structure.
Earlier, former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta said the 14th Finance Commission has offered very less grants to Assam which will hamper its economic activities.
“In the Budget for 2015-16, there was nothing much for Assam and the north east. Assam is not gaining from anywhere. So it seems that peoples’ saying ‘Dilli bahut door’ (Delhi is far away) is true for Assam,” he said.