GUWAHATI, March 14 – Leader of Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia today accused the State government of failing to implement schemes announced during the last two budgets.Participating in the general discussion on the State Budget in the Legislative Assembly, Saikia said funds for various schemes announced in the last two budgets have not been released. He added that the State government did not table the Economic Survey in the run-up to the latest State Budget which was presented by Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on March 12.
Saikia said the farmers are not getting minimum support price for their crops and land pattas are yet to be allotted to needy people.

He said that the Chief Minister’s Samagra Gramya Unnayan Yojana (CMSGUY) was announced by the BJP government with much fanfare, but since then the funds released for the project have not matched the initial announcement.

“In this budget funding for the rural development sector has been slashed by eight per cent. Targets under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana have not been met. During last year’s budget a Rs 150-crore Price Stabilisation Fund was announced and yet price rise continues. Now another Rs 50 crore has been announced for the fund. The Food and Civil Supply Corporation, announced earlier, is yet to be formed,” said Saikia.

He also called upon the State government to fill up all vacant posts in the home department and added that the crime rate in Assam is very high.

Participating in the discussion, AIUDF MLA Mamun Imdadul Haque Chawdhury said many elements of the last two budgets have been repeated in the latest State Budget.

“This budget document is more of literature than a document on development. It has tried to use magic of words and lofty phrases. Many old things have been repeated,” he said.

Chawdhury cited recent NITI Aayog reports and said that Assam figures among states in the bottom of the list with regard to infant mortality, maternal mortality, health index and school dropout rate and added that as per NCRB data the crime rate in Assam is among the highest in India.

BPF MLA Chandan Brahma called upon the State government to announce special funds for tackling the flood and erosion problem in the BTAD region.

He said that floodwater from the hills of Bhutan causes havoc in the districts falling under BTAD. “There are as many as 29 tributaries of the Brahmaputra flowing through the BTAD region. There is a need to undertake permanent measures to solve the problem of flood and erosion. We need more funds and latest technology. The BTAD region should be treated as special category for this purpose and should be given special fund,” he said.

BJP’s Terash Gowalla welcomed the budget, saying it has put special focus on skill development and uplift of the tea tribes.

News Posted in Assam Tribune