Central funds slashed for Assam, union ministers misleading people: Gogoi

Says central ministers visiting the state have been making hullabaloo that central funds are flowing to the state

Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi today came down heavily on central ministers visiting Assam as he alleged they were making "hullabaloo" and "misleading" the people of the state by making statements that "adequate funds" were flowing into the state from the Centre. Gogoi claimed funds for centrally sponsored schemes had rather been slashed for Assam. "The central ministers visiting the state have been making hullabaloo that central funds are flowing to the state, but the moot question remains where have the funds gone," said Gogoi.

The chief minister said the central ministers "should stop misleading the people" that adequate funds were flowing into the state from the Centre. "The central ministers visiting the state should not mislead the people that central funds are flowing unhindered to the state. Not to speak of 'adequate' funds being released under centrally sponsored schemes, there has been a slash in the funds thus adversely affecting the common man," Gogoi said.

He said though the central ministers visiting the state were making tall claims that funding pattern of 90:10 under centrally sponsored schemes were continuing, "the fact remains that it is the state government which has been pleading for continuation of the Special Category Status to Assam." "If the central ministers really want to do something for Assam then it's so far so good. But providing lip service won't suffice," Gogoi added. Gogoi said he had taken up the matter with Union finance minister, Arun Jaitley, for continuation of the Special Category Status to Assam and urged him not to reduce Centre's funding for central schemes.