Resolve issues affecting fund flow, Gogoi urges Jaitley

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today urged union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to expeditiously resolve issues affecting fund flow to the state from the Centre.
Assam has been facing a major challenge during 2014-15 and 2015-16 over planning and flow of resources to the state, Gogoi said in a memorandum to Jaitley released to the media.
"This has already resulted in serious implications on various developmental programmes and is adversely impacting the welfare of poor people of the state," he said.
As Assam is in a disadvantageous position to attract private investment, the state needs more public investment and increased financial support from the Centre to sustain and accelerate the growth momentum that the state has been able to achieve in the last decade or so, Gogoi said.

"It may be noted that the funds released to the state are showing a declining trend. We had made budget provision of Rs 21,000 crore for plan expenditure during 2014-15 based on the general trend of annual plan allocations made by the Planning Commission in the previous years," he said.
The state received an allocation of Rs 18,000 crore, while the actual amount released to Assam in 2014-15 was only Rs 13,632.63 crore, the chief minister claimed.

Various developmental schemes have suffered because of less release of Plan funds from the Centre, he added.
Unlike the erstwhile Planning Commission indicating the quantum of Central support to be available to states for the following year, no communication has been received from the Niti Aayog and the state faced problems in planning exercise, he said.

"The announcements in the Union Budget for 2015-16 have led to drastic reduction in resources for many important schemes. This reduction in resources combined with a lack of clarity about the final pattern of financing has impacted the State budgeting process," Gogoi said.
"The Assam Assembly also has adopted a unanimous resolution for continuance of Special Category status for Assam and for Central Funding to come," the CM said.