The Hindu : National : 'Projects worth Rs. 9,210 cr. cleared for Assam'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 26, 2004

National

National

'Projects worth Rs. 9,210 cr. cleared for Assam'

By Our Special Correspondent

GUWAHATI, NOV. 25. Three days after the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, announced Central assistance fordevelopment projects in the State, the Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, said that projects Dr. Singh had cleared were part of a Prime Minister's package worth Rs. 9210 crore.

Even though Dr. Singh had on gone record saying that he had not come to Assam to announce any package, Mr. Gogoi today quantified the projects to prove that the Opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) allegation that the Prime Minister failed to announce any package for Assam was wrong.

The Opposition hadalleged that while the State Government had made tall claims of getting a package similar to Jammu and Kashmir and Manipur for the State, the Prime Minister had not announced any package.

Mr. Gogoi, however, claimed that initially the Prime Minister had planned to clear projects worth Rs. 4000 crore, but he had convincedDr. Singh to increase it to Rs. 9210 crore.

Of the 14 projects quantified by the State Government on the basis of Dr. Singh's assurances, Rs. 1582 crore will be provided for the Lumding-Silchar rail line conversion (to be completed by 2009-10), Rs. 1000 crore for the conversion of the National Highway 37 from Nagaon to Dibrugarh to a four-lane highway, Rs. 1000 crore to convert National Highway 36, 51, 52, 53, 54, 61, 152, 153 and 154 to double lane highways by 2007, Rs. 2600 crore for rural electrification by 2009 and Rs. 2000 crore for externally-aided projects to be taken up between 2005-2007.

In addition to these, the State would receive Rs. 305 crore for modernisation of three medical colleges, Rs. 100 crore for National Games, Rs. 240 crore for flood damage, repair and infrastructure development, Rs. 205 crore as bank credit for 20,500 self-help groups and Rs. 40 crore for flood relief and calamity relief fund, the Chief Minister said.

When it was pointed out thatthe conversion of highways projecthad been announced by the Union Surface Transport Minister, T.R. Baalu, during his visitand that the externally-aided projects worth Rs. 2000 crore had been announced by the State Government, Mr. Gogoi said that while these were just announcements, the Prime Minister agreed to sanction these projects, thus ensuring their implementation.

In addition,the Prime Minister had agreed to expedite the decision-making process on the gas cracker project, the estimated cost of which is Rs. 3500 crore. If this came through, theamount of the package would go up to Rs. 13150 crore, Mr. Gogoi said. Dr. Singh had also promised a package for the tea industry, he added.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National