Blame Game and Double-speak
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: October 10 2015 -
Reacting against Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Dr Jitendra Singh’s instruction on expedition of fund utilisation and submission of utilisation certificates, Assam Assam Chief Minister Tarun has asked the ministry to come out with a white paper on the release of funds to the Northeastern States and the non-submission of utilisation certificates by the States.
Accusing the DoNER minister of indulging in “double-speak”, the Assam Chief Minister also blamed the Union Finance Ministry for non-release of Rs 900 crore to DoNER on the other.
DoNER has been created exclusively for the development of the Northeast region and the very purpose has been defeated as fund flow from DoNER has slowed down during the last two fiscals, remarked Gogoi.
He pointed out that the percentage of utilisation of Non Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) has been a whopping 83.37 per cent (1998-99 to 2015-16).
Of the Rs 2629.50 crore released under NLCPR, the State Government has submitted Utilisation Certificates amounting to Rs 2192.40 crore. Of the 619 sanctioned projects, 373 have been completed and 246 are ongoing.
Under North East Council funded 66 numbers of schemes, Rs 41,196.90 lakh has been released and UCs amounting to Rs 30814.72 lakh submitted as on September 2015, said a news report.
Gogoi also said the slowing down of fund flow from DoNER coupled with the change in funding pattern and the withdrawal of Special Category Status by the present dispensation at the Centre have adversely affected the pace of development in the region as a whole.
While it is conjectured that there could be some truth in what Gogoi said, there is no gain in stating that the North Eastern States are also afflicted by unabated corruption deeply rooted in what has been understood normalization of aberrations in the body politics.
The prolonged political turmoil in the region has only benefitted those who wield mainstream political power. Otherwise, how would one explain the phenomena of the increasing disproportionate gap between the common people and those who have immensely benefitted from the “benevolent Centre.”
As the States in the region reel under frequent failures to implement programmes and policies coupled with recurring financial crises, it is not easy to point a straight finger as the primary cause of the crisis of underdevelopment.
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