GUWAHATI, March 5 - The amount of funds received by Assam from the Government of India under different heads recorded substantial increase in the current financial year as compared to the previous years , though the non plan financial grants has come down considerably. On the positive side, funds received against Centrally sponsored schemes increased considerably, which along with increase in the State�s share in Central taxes and Goods and Services Tax (GST) resulted in the overall increase of the funds received from the Centre.
According to records available, during the period from April last year to January this year, the total funds received from the Government of India increased by 25.96 per cent as compared to the receipts during the same period during the previous year. The increase during the same period in the two previous years was only 5.07 per cent and 2.37 per cent respectively.
Official sources told The Assam Tribune that during the period from April last year to January this year, State Government received Rs 27,940.22 crore from the Centre, which included Rs 15,976.09 crore as State�s share of Central taxes, Rs 1,138.45 crore against State�s share in GST, Rs 1,233.19 crore as non plan financial grant and Rs 9,592.49 crore against the Centrally-sponsored schemes.
Sources revealed that during the corresponding period in the financial year 2014-15, the State received Rs 20,689.06 crore from the Centre and it recorded 5.07 per cent increase in the next year as the State received Rs 21,737.09 crore, while during the same period in 2016-17, the total receipts were Rs 22,252.10 crore. Sources said that the State started receiving its share of the GST from the Centre only after the implementation of the GST regime and the State�s share in Central taxes recorded substantial growth over the years.
Similarly, the receipts against Centrally-sponsored schemes also recorded growth in the current financial year after it remained stagnant in the two previous years. This increase was possible as new schemes are being introduced, while, on its part, the State Government is also releasing its share against the schemes. Sources also revealed that majority of the amounts under the Centrally-sponsored schemes came in rural development, health sector, Sarba Shiksha Abhijan Mission and sanitation programmes under the Swachh Bharat Mission.
However, the non-plan financial grant from the Centre is coming down over the years and this happened because such funds are allocated as per the recommendations of the Finance Commission. But at the same time, the overall increase of receipts from the Centre, particularly against the Centrally sponsored schemes is a positive development, sources added.
Sources further said that lots of changes took places in the funding pattern in the last few years and on last two financial years, the receipts did not see major growth because the presentation of budgets were also delayed after the change of Government. Moreover, it took some time for all the departments to stabilize after the change of Government, which delayed implementation of schemes and the money received against the Centrally-sponsored schemes came down.
