NEW DELHI, June 11 � Beleaguered Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today heaved a sigh of relief, when Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley assured him that the Centre would sympathetically consider the demand for restoration of the 90:10 funding pattern.
The Chief Minister�s meeting with Jaitley, described as �fruitful�, saw the Finance Minister directing the officials of the Finance Ministry and Assam government to sit and resolve the issues raised by the Chief Minister.
State Commissioner and Secretary Ravi Kota, who accompanied the Chief Minister, was assigned to meet Joint Secretary (Budget) of the Union Finance Minister to sort out the issues.
Emerging from the deliberation, Gogoi told newsmen at the North Block that he has sought Rs 21,000 crore from the Centre, which include outstanding royalty payment of Rs 10,000 crore and Rs 9,800 crore deficit schemes.
The Chief Minister said that Jaitley assured him, when he raised the issue of huge budgetary shortfalls, that if after devolution of taxes, the State still faces deficit in funding the social sector schemes, then the Finance Ministry would make good the shortfall.
Yesterday, the Chief Minister had alleged that because of the change in the funding pattern and Zero Central Support, at least 12 schemes would suffer.
On the demand for restoration of the 90:10 pattern of funding, Jaitley assured the Chief Minister that the demand may be genuine for northeastern States and hence would be considered sympathetically, sources said.
Jaitley explained that though he is sympathetic to the issue, he could not commit at the moment because the NITA Aayog-appointed subcommittee of Chief Ministers is going into its various aspects, sources said. The picture will become clear once the subcommittee recommends the pattern of funding, sources added.
