GUWAHATI, June 13 � The State Government will initiate on its own a debate in the State Assembly in its ensuing session, on the economic progress made by the State under the present regime. The Government will also ask the departments to make public the rate of progress they have attained under the present Government.
Addressing a press conference here today, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi made the above announcement and told the newspersons that the Government would also table a white paper on the issue in the State Assembly. He was referring to the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) criticism of his Governments� alleged failure.
There is a positive turn in the economic condition of the State since April 2005. Earlier, in the initial days of the present regime, the State economy was dependent on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) overdraft. In 2001, the State economy was dependent on RBI overdrafts for 293 days. The State inherited this dependence on the RBI overdraft from the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) rule.
During the AGP rule, the growth rate of the gross state domestic product (GSDP) was limited to only 2.8 per cent and in 2009, it shot up to 6.16 per cent. It is expected to shot up further this time to 6.35 per cent. Again, during 2000-01 fiscal, the per capita income of the State was Rs 13,962 at the current price. It rose to Rs 26,728 in 2008-09 fiscal and as per an advance estimate it is expected to shot up to Rs 29,305 in 2009-10 fiscal, said the Chief Minister.
During the AGP rule, the total salary amount of the State Government employees was Rs 3,800 crore in a year. But the AGP Government failed to pay salary regularly to the employees. Now, despite the annual amount against salary component shooting up to Rs 11,000 crore, the present Government is paying the employees their salaries regularly.
Moreover, the salary component constituted 52 per cent of the State�s expenditure during the AGP rule and therefore, the State Government was not in a position to initiate development works at that time.
Now, the salary amount constitutes only one per cent of the total expenditure of the State Government. And, therefore, the State Government is able to spend more on the development activities, said Gogoi.
He also refuted the allegation of the Opposition that the State Government under his stewardship has been implementing mostly the Central schemes, saying that most of the schemes being implemented by the present State Government are its own. The Centre is extending financial support to implement these schemes in recognition to the competence of the present State Government.
The support base of the present Government among the common people is expanding because of the progress the State has made under it. The latest elections to the autonomous councils reaffirm this assertion, said Gogoi.
