Assam bags best Infrastructure Development State Award

Assam has been adjudged the 'Best Infrastructure Development State' in the big state category in the 13th States Conclave by India Today group in New Delhi today.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi received the award from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, said a government release here.
Assam has been adjudged the best State in Infrastructure Development because it has registered 17 per cent increase in the length of pucca road from 2011 to 2013-14, whereas the National average for the same period was four per cent.
The state's achievement is significant because it's rank in the same category was 3rd in 2013 and 7th in 2014, it said, adding, 70 per cent households of Assam had power connection during 2013-14.

Odisha has moved to 5th from 16th while Assam to 7th from 19th position largely due to their improvement in macro economy, agriculture and infrastructure development, the major gainer among the big states, the release said.
The awards are given after tracking the performance of the Indian States analyzing which states made the most of liberalization, the release said.

Speaking on the occasion Editor-in-Chief India Today Aroon Purie said Assam and Odisha helmed by Tarun Gogoi and Navin Patnaik, respectively, had made giant leaps, it said.
Later participating in a panel discussion on 'Is Indian federalism now more tilted towards the States', Gogoi opposing the motion pointed out that during the Indo-Bangla Land Boundary Agreement, the Chief Ministers of the states were not taken into confidence and Assam was completely ignored by the Centre.

Even after seeking appointments from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Ministers of the North Eastern States were ignored, the release quoted Gogoi who also said waiving off the Special Category Status to the North East did not help the Centre's claim of cooperative federalism.
Referring to the Land Acquisition Bill, Gogoi said that a Uniform Land Policy cannot be replicated to all the States in a federal country like India where the States have their local issues.
For example, Assam has already lost four lakh hectare of land because of erosion, population rise and shrinkage of habitat was leading to man-animal conflict have put more pressure on land in the state prompting the state government to be more judicious and selective on land acquisition, he said.

Gogoi asserted that the Land Acquisition Bill of the Centre which he has been opposing all along cannot be applied in Assam.