Rs 2,000 crore for minorities went back to New Delhi for Dispur's failure: Ajmal

UPA Government had to send 13 letters to Gogoi government seeking UTs of minority funds, but to little avail: AIUDF

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Feb 27: AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal today pooh-poohed Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for seeking Rs 1,000 crore for the minority people of Assam from the Centre at the fag-end of his term, that too, when the poll notification is about to be issued in the State.

In a statement issued to the press today, Ajmal said: “How come Gogoi raise such a demand now? What had he done for the development of minority people in the State in the past 15 years? Let Gogoi make public what amount he had sought from the Centre under the UPA regime for the development of minorities in Assam, what amount he got and how the money had been spent? The then Union Minority Affairs Minister K Rahman Khan was on record saying that around Rs 2,000 crore allocated for the minorities in Assam had to go back to the Centre due to failure on the part of the State Government to utilize them. Only Rs 400 crore of the Rs 700 crore MSDP funds could be utilized by the State government, but there had been massive irregularities in the spending of the Rs 400 crore too. The Centre had to send as many as 13 letters to Dispur for the utilization certificates, but to no avail. The result is that Dispur had to forfeit the remaining amount meant for the development of minority people of the State. Gogoi now demanding Central funds for the development of minority people of the State is nothing but shedding crocodile tears. Let Gogoi make public what he has done in the State for the development of minority people of the State based on the Sachar Committee report.”

In another statement, Ajmal expressed his apprehension that the ruling Congress might take the advantage in the 8,000 sensitive polling centres in the State. He sought adequate security to the sensitive voting centres. State DGP  Mukesh Sahay told the press yesterday that 8,000 polling stations in the State are sensitive.