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Uproar in Assam Assembly after Akhil raises special category status issue

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GUWAHATI, Dec 21: The Assam Assembly witnessed noisy scenes during the Question Hour on the second day of the winter session on Tuesday after Sibsagar MLA Akhil Gogoi raised the issue of withdrawal of special category status to Assam, claiming that it had led to “financial crisis” in the state.

Special category status is a classification given by the Centre to assist in the development of states that face geographical and socio-economic disadvantages such as hilly terrain, strategic international borders, economic and infrastructural backwardness and non-viable state finances.

Replying to Gogoi, Assam finance minister Ajanta Neog on Tuesday said that special status to the state was not imperative now as Assam has been getting more grants from the Centre at present than before.

“During the 11th Finance Commission, Assam received a grant of Rs 22,646.62 crore. However under 14th Finance Commission, the state received Rs 1, 81,228 crore,” the finance minister said, adding that the change in the special category status to Assam is just a change of nomenclature and that the state has not suffered financially due to it.

Gogoi further demanded a debate on the issue and later staged a symbolic protest outside the Assembly, wearing a white T-shirt that had a Sanskrit verse and “caricature depicting a politician boarding a helicopter over a stack” to depict financial burden in the state.

The Sibsagar MLA further told mediaperosns that he was not satisfied with the finance minister’s reply to the issue raised by him during Question Hour.

Opposition members in the House further alleged that block grants and special assistance were reduced after the special category status was withdrawn by the Centre.

Subsequently both Opposition and Treasury benches created commotion in the House with either side blaming each other for indiscipline.

The noise however died down gradually as Speaker Biswajit Daimary addressed the House in Bodo language while asking the members to use their language translator headsets to understand what he was saying.

The Speaker further asked the members to abide by the Question Hour rules and maintain discipline in the House.

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