NEW DELHI, April 2 – Floods may be knocking on the doors but the ministries concerned with the flood control works are locked in a bitter war of words over allocation of funds. The Central Government has released Rs 29 crore to Assam from the Non-Lapsable Pool of Central Resources during 2002-2003, Union Ministry of Water Resources today clarified.
The Ministry’s clarification was in response to State Water Resources Minister, Nurjamal Sarkar’s charge made yesterday about non-release of funds for flood control schemes. Before the NDA Government came to power, the only channel of releasing funds to Assam was through Central Loan Assistance (CLA) to State Government by Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) and through this channel Rs 390 crore as loan and Rs 10 crore as grant-in-aid was given to Assam. Out of this, Assam Government could not pay Rs 56.73 crore on interest and Rs 28.89 crore on the principal amount, the Ministry said.
In sharp contrast, multiple channels of flood control and erosion have been opened up since the NDA Government came to power by adopting various mechanisms including conversion of CLA into grant-in-aid and additional Central Plan Assistance. The State Government’s charge seen as a direct attack on Minister of State for Water Resources Bijoya Chakraborty prompted the MoWR to issue a three-page statement detailing release of funds to Assam since 1999-2000. The MoWR have been releasing funds under CLA and grant and up to 1999-2000 an amount of Rs 401.03 crore was released. However, since 2000-2001 onwards, it was decided to release the fund through centrally sponsored scheme.
As the plan could not take off in the Ninth Plan period, MoWR recommended to the Planning Commission and Union Finance Ministry to release Rs 20 crore to Assam for implementation of the flood control schemes. During 2002-2003 MoWR recommended to Department of Development of the North Eastern Region (DONER) to release Rs 32.59 crore for 32 schemes in the State, it was further stated.
During the year 2002-2003 itself about Rs 29 crore has been released to Assam under Non-Lapsable Pool besides the release of Rs 49 crore during 2001-2002. The Minister has further divulged that EFC could not be formulated because of non-receipt of information from various North Eastern States. Even information from Assam was received in late December 2002. Although some of the States have not furnished the information so far, however, scheme is being formulated keeping in view the importance of taking up flood control schemes in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura.
The Ministry also pointed out that it has been releasing funds through Brahmaputra Board as well. The Brahmaputra Board during the Ninth Plan period and first year of 10th Plan has been released Rs 156.97 crore out of which Rs 124.54 crore has been spent. The various projects under implementation by the Board includes Harange Drainage scheme, Pagladiya Dam project, Avulsion of river Brahmaputra at Dholla-Hatighulli among others.
Officials here claimed that the State Minister has twisted facts and misread the funding scenario, when the reality is that Assam Government has been constantly getting funds through various chennels like MoWR, DONER, Planning Commission sanctioned additional Central assistance.