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Central allocation for Assam increased: Gogoi

By Sushanta Talukdar

GUWAHATI, MARCH 10. The 12th Finance Commission has recommended a total grant-in-aid of Rs. 4,478.71 crores for Assam against the 11th Finance Commission award of only Rs. 243.22 crores to the State.

Disclosing this in the Assembly, the Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, said the State would also get a general debt relief of Rs. 661.49 crores during the 12th Finance Commission Award period from April 1, 2005 to March 31, 2010 subject to legislation of the Fiscal Responsibility Act. The 11th Commission had not given any debt relief.

Mr. Gogoi said the Government would introduce a Fiscal Responsibility Bill during the current budget session.

The Opposition Asom Gana Parishad and the Bharatiya Janata Party members were not present in the House when the Chief Minister was making the statement as they had staged a walkout over yesterday's serial blasts in the State.

Giving details about the Finance Commission's award for various sectors, Mr. Gogoi said the State had been given Rs. 767.89 crores for calamity relief. The non-Plan revenue deficit grant was Rs. 305.67 crores against Rs. 110.68 crores by the 11th Commission.

The grants for various sectors are as follows: health — Rs. 966.02 crores, education — Rs. 1107.37 crores, maintenance of roads and bridges — Rs. 330.12 crores, maintenance of buildings — Rs. 230.64 crores, maintenance of forests — Rs. 40 crores, heritage conservation — Rs. 20 crores, construction of roadside drains in Guwahati — Rs. 121 crores.

Persistent efforts

The Chief Minister attributed the substantial increase in the award of the 12th Commission to the persistent efforts of his Government to impress upon the Centre the "injustice done to Assam" by the 11th Commission.

The State Government had made detailed submissions, supported by facts and figures, on actual revenue generation capacity and realistic non-Plan revenue expenditure needs during the five-year period of the 12th Commission.

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