Assam Opposition seeks white paper on scheme funds

GUWAHATI: The Opposition Congress in Assam has demanded a white paper from the state government in regard to central funds available with it for implementing the series of schemes announced recently. Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president, Ripun Bora, while addressing reporters here on Thursday said that the state government would have to clear the confusion from the minds of the people by publishing a white paper on how the schemes announced recently would be implemented in the midst of financial crunch claimed by the state finance minister.
“We wonder whether the scheme announcements are a pre-poll gimmick and a ploy to attract voters ahead of the elections,” Bora said.
The Assam PCC president said that only 60 per cent of funds have been released for contractors engaged in various government departments till March 31, 2020.
“Besides, funds have not been released against work allotted to them from April 1, 2020 till date, citing financial crisis,” Bora said.
He further pointed out that the health minister has said that owing to funds crunch, the department has been unable to bear the expenses of COVID-19 patients currently under treatment.
“Such a stance goes against the Supreme Court judgments on COVID which cleary say that the government must bear the entire cost of treatment of COVID-19 patients. However, the health minister has chosen to be indifferent,” he alleged. “We would also question the government as to why hospitals are running short of oxygen, which would have saved the lives of critical COVID patients,” Bora said.
The APCC president asserted that if the government had given up on financial commitments it ought to step down.