Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Tuesday said his government is mulling to move to court against the Centre for withdrawing the Special Category status accorded on the state.
“I want to go to the court against the Centre for withdrawal of the Special Category status from Assam. We will consult legal advisers and take a decision accordingly,” Gogoi said at a press conference. The state government has been demanding reinstatement of Special Category status to Assam since the NDA government withdrew it, but nothing has been done so far, he said. “They (Centre) have also suspended registration of new projects under the North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy (NEIIPP).
These decisions have affected our growth,” Gogoi said. Regarding the funding pattern, he said despite repeated requests from Assam and other Special Category states, the original ration existing till 2013-14 was not restored in the current Budget.
The Chief Minister also criticised the Centre for allocating Rs 18,938 crore as share in central taxes in the Budget for the next fiscal as against Rs 22,131 crore recommended by the 14th Finance Commission. “In 2015-16, Assam got Rs 2,395 crore less as share of central taxes. Thus, together in the two fiscals, we will lose Rs 5,588 crore,” he said.
In the Non Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) category, the Budget has provided Rs 700 crore compared to Rs 970 crore in 2015-16, the Chief Minister said. Talking about the Rs 100 crore grant to Bodoland Territorial Area Districts, Gogoi said, “Even I give more than that to the Bodoland Territorial Council. When Modi came, he promised to give Rs 1,000 crore on demand from BTC Chief Hagrama Mohilary, but now he is giving this.
It is good that he (Mohilary) is cheated.” Mohilary’s party Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), which was a Congress ally during last Assembly polls, has joined hands with the BJP for the forthcoming elections after getting assurance of Rs 1,000 crore special package from the BJP. When asked if Congress would consider taking back BPF on board if it decides to return back for an alliance, Gogoi said, “We have made it very clear that we will not go for an alliance with BPF.”
On Rs 5,000 crore allocation to the entire North East for building roads and bridges, the Chief Minister questioned how was the Centre going to fulfil Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari’s announcement of Rs 1,00,000 crore investment by his Ministry in the region over the next five years. Regarding granting of ST status to Koch-Rajbongshi, Tai-Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Motak and Tea tribes, he said BJP was playing “political gimmick” on the issue. “Earlier, they agreed to give the ST status.
Now they have formed a committee to fix the modalities. This is just playing a hide and seek game to fool the Assamese people before the polls,” Gogoi added. (PTI)
