Media Pulse

Painting the Portal to Mizoram

The Colour of Success

High Price of Environmental Pollution

Peaceful Life With Vaastu Shastra

The Seven Sisters of the Northeast look forward to the munificence of the Centre for peace, prosperity and development in the region, even as the Centre has worked out a plan. But ground realities leave much to be desired.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi at a recent press conference pointed out that the State’s financial situation had gone from bad to worse due to the grave injustice done to it by the Central Government. "We have been pleading with the Centre for adequate grants to tide over the crisis, but it is yet to show any positive sign of helping us", he said. He added that while the 10th Finance Commission allocated Rs. 710 crore to the State, the amount was drastically reduced to
Rs, 110 crore by the 11th Finance Commission. Besides, he said, the State’s share of Central taxes had come down by Rs. 1,200 crore in the last few years, even as the share remained deficient by about Rs. 235 crore during 2000-01 alone. Moreover, the hike in pay scales of the employees by the Fifth Pay Commission has also increased the burden on the State’s coffers as the requirement of the State on account of payment of salaries and pension has doubled. While it required Rs. 2,436 crore for payment of salaries and pension in 2001, the amount would rise to about Rs. 4,800 crore for the year 2002, the Chief Minister said. In addition to fighting for more Central assistance, the Assam Government is also trying to mobilise its own resources to tide over the fiscal crisis and has already raised Rs. 160 crore as revenue through fiscal reforms such as expenditure and salary cut and revenue hike.

Delay on the part of the Assam State Food and Civil Supplies Department to implement the Centrally-sponsored Annapurna scheme resulted in senior citizens of the State not receiving free rice worth Rs. 3 crore. This was detected by an audit party of the Accountant General (Assam) during a test check of the accounts at the office of the Director of Food and Civil Supplies. The audit party also detected excess printing of family identity cards beyond the sanctioned limit of the Government of India, which led to extra expenditure. The Ministry of Rural Development launched the Annapurna scheme from April 2000 under 100 per cent Central assistance. Under the scheme, 10 kilogram of foodgrains per month are to be provided free of cost to all indigent senior citizens eligible for pension but who are presently not receiving it. According to media reports from Guwahati, it was found during the course of audit that although the Government of India released Rs. 5.78 crore during 2000-01 to the State Government to implement the Annapurna scheme from April 2000, the Food and Civil Supplies Department, in turn, sanctioned only Rs. 1.92 crore, that too in October of that year.

Disturbed law and order and poor communication facilities remain problems of the region. Bus services on the Imphal-Silchar road (Manipur) remained suspended for days in the recent past, with the transporters’ associations refusing to withdraw their strike till armed guards are deployed to stop extortion and harassment of passengers along National Highway 53. Compounding the crisis is the strike call given by an all-party committee of transporters’ associations in Karimganj district and a subsequent blockade in protest against the authorities’ failure to repair a damaged 40 kilometre stretch on National Highway 44.

The highway is the lifeline of Tripura, linking the State with the rest of the country through Karimganj district. On the other hand, the Imphal-Silchar Road is vital for communication between Manipur and the adjoining Cachar district. The strike by the transporters’ associations was launched in the wake of the surge in extortion and harassment of passengers and drivers by suspected militants all along the Imphal-Silchar road.

Angered by the Manipur Government’s alleged apathy, the transporters threatened to suspend bus services in outlying areas. Representatives of their Union came back angry after a meeting when Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh argued that the State did not have adequate security forces to guard National Highway 53. There are only three security posts along the 200-km Imphal-Silchar Road. This is a fit case for intervention by the Central Home and Surface Transport Ministries.

The Central Government, however, likes to take an opposite and optimistic view of the developments. According to a spokesman of the Prime Minister’s Office, adopting a multi-pronged approach to bring normalcy in the Northeast, the Centre’s initiatives have enabled completion of 147 km of fencing on the Assam-Bangladesh border, besides launching of projects worth crores of rupees in the region.

According to an official review of progress of measures taken in the region, 17 out of 28 schemes announced by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in January 2000 are under implementation. The agenda announced by Vajpayee for the region included socio-economic development and improving the security scenario. It covers development of the power sector, border trade, horticulture, rural infrastructure, roads and air links, medical education and health services, industrial training institutes, information technology, border fencing and upgrading police infrastructure.

The review says out of Rs. 1,335 crore approved for fencing of the remaining portion of the Indo-Bangladesh border and construction of roads, 133.89 km of border roads have been completed. This is besides completion of 147.31 km of fencing work on the Assam Bangladesh border. The Government has also released Rs. 1,346 crore from the Central pool for various projects in the Northeast and Sikkim.

The official review says action plans have been prepared to develop four border towns—Moreh in Manipur, Zokhawther in Mizoram, Dawki in Meghalaya and Sutarkhandi in Assam in two years at a total cost of Rs. 36.32 crore. It, however, says the response of State Governments in respect of land acquisition has been slow.

Amongst other projects, a new action plan has been prepared for the Subarnsiri lower side hydel project. As against the earlier proposal of a 600 mw capacity unit at a cost of Rs. 3,000 crore, it is proposed to double the capacity at a cost of Rs. 6,000 crore.