GUWAHATI, July 11 � During 2011-12 an amount of Rs 1193.60 crore has been earmarked for implementation of the State�s Externally-aided Projects (EAPs), said the Chief Minister in his Budget speech here today.
He said that projects include Assam Agriculture Competitiveness Project (Rs 175.73 crore), Assam State Road project (Rs 155 crore), Assam Integrated Flood and River Bank Erosion Management Project (Rs 121.68 crore), Assam Governance and Public Resource Management Programme (Rs 139.56 crore), Assam Power Sector Enhancement Investment Project (Rs 250.32 crore), Guwahati Water Supply Project (Rs 319 crore) and Assam Infrastructure Project (Rs 32.31 crore).
Till recently, flow of funds to Assam under EAPs was very meager. However, during the last few years flow of funds to the State through various EAPs has been increasing substantially. State Government received an amount of Rs 2,831 crore under various EAPs during the period from 2001 to January 2011 as compared to an amount of only Rs 182 crore in the previous five years.
An additional amount of about Rs 5,000 crore is likely to flow to the State under the ongoing EAPs in the near future. These EAPs have made significant impact in accelerating the pace of development in the State, particularly in sectors like agriculture, forest, road connectivity, urban water supply, power, water resource management and fiscal reforms, said the Chief Minister.
State Finance Commission: The 4th Assam State Finance Commission, in its preliminary report for 2011-12, has recommended that 14% of the net proceeds of all taxes and duties other than Entry Tax, Entertainment Tax and Electricity Duty, shall be the quantum of the Divisible Pool for distribution between Panchayati Raj institutions and the urban local self-governing bodies during 2011-12.
On the basis of this recommendation, an amount or Rs 640.87 crore has been included in the 2011-12 Budget for the purpose, said the CM.
