Shourie-Gogoi Duel Grounds Assam Plans

‘‘While the Centre has deprived us of our legitimate dues like enhancement of crude oil royalty and our share from refinery products, it has also not cleared a large number of project proposals that have been submitted. This definitely shows the Centre’s attitude towards Assam,’’ alleges Gogoi.

But Shourie, in his statement in the Rajya Sabha on December 8, presents a completely different picture. According to him, although the Assam Government sought a large chunk of funds from the Department for Development of the Northeastern region (DONER) for 200 projects worth Rs 1,143 crore, it failed to submit proper project reports. When DONER requested the State to submit projects in order of priority, the latter again sent the proposals without detailed reports, claimed Shourie.

Last week, when the duo met here at the inauguration of the exclusive Alliance Air services for the Northeast, Gogoi reopened the chapter, urging Shourie to release the funds so that development schemes did not suffer. Shourie retaliated by stating that the Assam government should ensure two things:

l honest and timely implementation of the projects;

l immediate end to all forms of extortions.

An enraged Gogoi then shot off a letter to Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee, asking if Shourie’s statement was a reflection of a policy decision by the Centre to put pre-conditions or if it was just his personal opinion.

Speaking to newspersons on New Year’s day, Gogoi said: ‘‘It is ridiculous that Shourie is doubting the honesty of my government. I have been trying hard to bring down the level of corruption, and he wants to say my government is corrupt.’’

Admitting that his government has not been able to implement developmental schemes, he added: ‘‘It is because of an ongoing financial crisis. Moreover, while I don’t have money for my government’s share in the project, it does not justify the Centre’s move in blocking the release of its share.’’ Most projects in Assam are funded jointly by the Centre (75 per cent of the cost) and the State (remaining 25 per cent).

‘‘I can also cite numerous examples of the Central Government’s schemes remaining unimplemented despite having budgetary allocations. Not just Shourie, I have pointed this out to the Prime Minister also several times,’’ said Gogoi.

But it is not just Shourie’s department which has rejected project proposals submitted by Assam. The Central Water Commission (CWC) too scrapped 15 of the 109 proposals sent by the State, primarily because there was ‘‘non-response’’ from Assam for over a year. Several of the State’s loan proposals are also lying idle with the World Bank and Asian Development Bank because of failure to meet preconditions. And schemes for water supply are pending with the Japan Bank for International Development.

Admitting that his government often has to divert funds to pay the salaries of its employees, Gogoi said: ‘‘We are compelled to do this, because employees cannot be deprived of their dues.’’ On the charge of corruption, he added: ‘‘There is corruption everywhere, even in the central government. Why single me out alone? I have at least tried to bring down the level of corruption since I took over in May last year.’’ But allegations abound about rampant corruption in various departments of the state.