BY Our Staff Reporter
Guwahati, Dec 20: Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has demanded a white paper from Union Minister of State Sarbanda Sonowal on what the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre has done for Assam during its one and a half years in power.
In a statement here today, Chief Minister Gogoi asked Sonowal to come out with a factsheet on what the NDA Government at the Centre had done for Assam during its one and a half years of rule instead of unleashing a misinformation campaign against the State Government.
"The white paper should have details of central fund allocation for the State," Gogoi said, reiterating that the State Government would publish within a fortnight its white paper about the slew of development initiatives taken by the then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan during the 10-year tenure of the UPA Government. "The BJP must also come out with a factsheet as to what the previous and the present BJP-led NDA Governments have done for the State of Assam so that the people can judge things in proper perspectives," he added.
"Not to speak of special Central assistance, the State is yet to receive a single penny under tiol Disaster Response Fund except Rs 430.97 crore as Central share of SDRF in 2014-15 which is due to every State," he said, adding that Sonowal did not exert pressure on the Centre to release the due funds to the State Government.
Gogoi said the Centre is yet to release Rs 1,000 crore for flood magement programme.
"Though Sonowal is very vocal criticising the State Government on different issues, he always maintains a stoic silence when it comes to raising the issues at the highest level. He took a mute stand in this regard during a meeting of Union Home Minister Rajth Singh with the Chief Ministers of North Eastern States in July this year. He is keener on appeasing the Central leaders to keep his gaddi intact rather than serving the interests of the State and its people. Being a Central Minister, Sonowal is aware of the huge losses Assam has incurred due to discrimitory and lopsided attitude of the present dispensation at the Centre, but he is feigning ignorance," the Chief Minister said.
Gogoi dared Sonowal to repudiate the facts and figures submitted by him on various issues enlisted in a memorandum to the Prime Minister on December 16 last.