Won't rest till we get our rights: Gogoi

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Nov 13: Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said today Assam and other States of the Northeast had to fight for restoration of 90:10 funding pattern and that it was not a "new decision by the Modi-led Government but a continuous process of the previous UPA dispensation at the Centre".

In a statement here today, Chief Minister Gogoi said the States of the Northeast had to put up a concerted fight to get back the 90:10 funding pattern. "We had to fight to get the 90:10 funding pattern restored. The Manmohan Singh-led UPA Government had incorporated several flagship programmes but there is nothing new in the one announced by the BJP-led Government at the Centre," Gogoi said.

Gogoi said the slew of retrogressive steps taken by the present dispensation at the Centre has affected the development process in Assam and other North Eastern States. "We will not rest and continue our fight for our rights vis-a-vis restoration of the now suspended Special Category Status and North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy," he said.

The Chief Minister said that the present Central Government has choked the flow of funds by drastic cut in MGNREGA and other flagship programmes.  Gogoi said his Government would not be cowed down by such retrogressive steps and would continue implementation of policies and programmes with full vigour. "Funds flow has been choked by the present Central Government but our Government will continue implementing policies and programmes out of our own resources," he added.