GUWAHATI, Dec 8 - The Assam Legislative Assembly today unanimously adopted a resolution, demanding the Centre to reinstate the Special Category status to Assam immediately.
The government resolution was moved by Public Works, Planning and Development Minister Ajanta Neog.
The House also decided to send an all-party delegation to New Delhi under the Legislative Assembly Speaker to press its demand for the Special Category status to Assam.
The resolution called upon the Central Government to reinstate the earlier status regarding the funding pattern of Central schemes.
The resolution stated that following the report of the 14th Finance Commission, the funding pattern of Centrally-sponsored schemes was changed from the earlier 90:10 to 50:50 and funding received by Special Category States under Special Central Assistance (SCA), Special Plan Assistance (SPA) and Normal Central Assistance (NCA) were closed down.
It added that despite two similar resolutions passed earlier this year by the Assembly for the continuation of the Special Category State status and submission of memorandums by the Chief Minister to the Centre, no positive response has been forthcoming from the Centre.
As such, it called upon the House to once again unanimously pass a resolution, demanding the Centre to reinstate the Special Category status.
Participating in the debate on the resolution, AGP�s Phani Bhushan Choudhury said that the pace of development in Assam would suffer if the funding pattern was changed and the State Government�s share in funding was hiked.
Congress MLA Pradyut Bordoloi said that backward States like Assam cannot be paired with economically advanced States like Gujarat, Tamil Nadu or Haryana.
He termed the Union Government�s decision to change the funding pattern �injustice to the people of Assam.�
AGP MLA Keshab Mahanta and AIUDF�s Hafiz Bashir Ahmed Kasimi also called for reinstatement of the old pattern of funding.
Minister Neog said that many important Central schemes have been closed down following the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission, while funding for other schemes have also come down substantially.
