Opp sees red over Gogoi’s Rs 850 cr welfare scheme

Guwahati: Opposition BJP and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) have cried hoarse over Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi’s announcement of a Rs 850 crore generous welfare package meant for over 76 lakh needy people in the state, which will be implemented from November-December this year, just few months before the next Assembly election to be held early next year.
With the next Assembly election barely six-seven months away, the opposition parties accused Gogoi of trying to woo voters through this generous package for Congress using money from the state’s exchequer.
An unfazed Gogoi said his government would provide assistance to poor and needy from all sections and communities, not only to Congress workers. “If providing assistance to needy is called dirty politics, I can’t help it,” Gogoi said.
Opposition BJP sees red over Gogoi’s announcement and the timing of implementation of the package and accused the ruling Congress of hatching a design to misuse public money in the garb of this benevolent welfare package to buy votes in the forthcoming polls through distribution of goods and cash among the needy.
The AGP has stated that the scheme was just in tune with the Congress’ ‘old dirty election-time politics’ of blanket, yarn and mosquito nets.
Gogoi said the package was a composition of various existing welfare schemes including distribution of mosquito nets, blankets, yarn and even cash benefit to needy in tune with different state-sponsored schemes.
He added that the package would cover the existing State Government schemes, where the number of beneficiaries would be increased, besides the introduction of a few new schemes.
Poor families which have not been given houses under the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) will be given Rs 25,000 in cash. Besides, assistance will also be provided in the form of blankets, yarn, tractors, power tillers, etc.
The package will focus on diverse sections, including unemployed youths, women, students and others