Changed funding pattern to shrink revenue in FY16 in Assam
Guwahati: With total debt of around Rs 25,000 crore, Assam government on Thursday said it will receive over Rs 7,000 crore less during 2015-16 due to delinking of schemes and change in funding pattern by the Centre. “In the 2015-16 Budget, the Centre delinked 12 schemes worth Rs 4,052 crore. Besides, change in funding pattern will cost us an additional Rs 2,992 crore. So, the total loss to the state exchequer will be Rs 7,044 crore in this fiscal”, Assam Commissioner and Secretary (Finance) Ravi Kota told reporters here. The Centre has cited increase in tax devaluation to 42 per cent from the earlier 32 per cent as reason for this deduction, he added. “However, a poor state like Assam cannot spend the additional devaluation fund for schemes as it has a huge non- Plan burden. Removing the Special Category Status has further affected us,” Kota said. He explained that the state’s total requirement for salaries and pensions is around Rs 25,000 crore annually, while its internal resources can generate Rs 10,000-11,000 crore, Rs 14,000-15,000 crore will come from the Centre as devaluation of tax component. “Therefore, it will be very difficult for us to keep the momentum of development going if we do not get additional funds or the earlier funding pattern is not restored,” Kota said, adding the state will also lose over Rs 400 crore tax revenue due to cut in petrol and diesel rates. Talking about the debt burden, he said the state currently has a total borrowing of around Rs 25,000 crore, most of which is long-term in nature. “The state has ceiling of Rs 6,000 crore debt that it can raise every year. Earlier, we were not exhausting this amount. But due to fund cut from the Centre, last fiscal and this fiscal too, we will raise this entire amount as debt”, Kota said. (PTI)
Gauhati HC commutes death sentence to life imprisonment
Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court has commuted the death sentence of a man, who was found guilty of killing two of his brothers in 1999, to imprisonment for life. A division bench of Chief Justice (acting) T Vaiphei and Justice C R Sarma, in its judgement on Wednesday, commuted the death sentence of Holiram Bordoloi to imprisonment for life, said a press release by the Court’s Registrar General today. Sessions Judge, Morigaon, in case No.47(A) of 1999 had held Bordoloi guilty of offence punishable under sections 147 (rioting)/148 (rioting with deadly weapons)/436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance)/326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt)/302 (murder) read with section 149 (unlawful assembly) of IPC and sentenced him to death, it said. The sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court vide order dated April 8, 2005. After confirmation of the sentence by the apex court, Holiram Bordoloi preferred mercy petitions on April 18, 2005 before the Governor of Assam and the President, the release said. Both the petitions were rejected in 2013 and 2014 respectively. Taking the ground of inordinate delay of about nine years and three months in disposal of his mercy petitions, Holiram Bordoloi approached the Gauhati High Court in 2014 for commutation of his death sentence, the release added. (PTI)
Four killed, 15 injured in accident
Kohima: At least four persons, including a woman were killed and 15 others were injured when a bus plunged into a gorge in Phek district of Nagaland on Wednesday. The accident occurred when the bus with a total of 19 persons rolled about 30 feet below the road, some kilometres before reaching Phek town. While three persons died on the spot, one succumbed to injuries on way to hospital, the police said. The driver was among those killed. Of the 15 injured, six were critically injured when the community bus in which they were travelling from Ketsapo village to Phek town met with the accident. Three of the injured were airlifted to Kohima in a chopper. (PTI)
Rhino poached in Assam
Guwahati: A rhino was killed by poachers and its horn cut away in Kaziranga National Park (KNP) of Assam in the wee hours on Thursday . The rhino was killed in Bagori range of the Park early this morning and its carcass recovered few hours later by forest guards. The poachers had cut away the horn of the pachyderm. Rhinos are routinely killed for the horns, which are believed to have medicinal values though scientific studies have found no such evidence. (UNI)
