GUWAHATI, Nov 7 ? The State and Central Governments have signed an agreement with the World Bank for the implementation of a Rs 1024.53-crore Assam Agricultural Competitiveness Project (AACP) from February 1 next year. This was disclosed by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi here today.
Addressing a press conference, the Chief Minister said that the agreement was signed in Washington on October 25. He said that as per the agreement, the World Bank assistance to the total project cost would be Rs 736.08 crore, while the contribution of the State Government would be Rs 95.45 crore and the contribution of the beneficiaries would be Rs 193 crore.
He revealed that the World Bank assistance would be passed on by the Government of India to the State Government as 90 per cent grant and 10 per cent loan. He said that the main components of the project would include rural connectivity, agriculture, irrigation, management of local flood and waterlogging, fisheries, veterinary and animal husbandry, dairy and forest and sericulture on pilot basis.
The Chief Minister disclosed that under the project, rural connectivity would be improved in nine districts of the State ? Barpeta, Nalbari, Goalpara, Dhubri, Morigaon, Sonitpur, Karimganj, Jorhat and Hailakandi. Under the agriculture component of the project, 750 tractors, 1500 power tillers, 60,000 shallow tube wells, 20,000 low lift pumps, etc., would be provided, while watershed activities would also be taken up. He said that 24 primary rural wholesale markets would also be developed under the project.
Under the fishery component of the project, assistance would be provided to small and marginal farmers to rehabilitate existing ponds and tanks. The execution of the project is scheduled to be completed by December 31, 2009. The Chief Minister said that the AACP would be the second major World Bank project to be implemented in the State after the Rs 567.65-crore Assam Rural Infrastructure and Agriculture Services Project (ARIASP) , which was launched in 1995.
He said that at the initial stage the implementation of the ARIASP project was slow but it picked up momentum later and it was concluded on June 30 this year. He said that on the satisfactory completion of the ARIASP project, the World Bank and the Government of India came forward to fund the new project for the development of Assam. He hoped that the Government would bring an end to the problem of insurgency with rapid economic development.
On the other major projects financed by funding agencies like the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Chief Minister said that the ADB has already sanctioned a Rs 1,200-crore project for power sector development in the State. The State Government is also holding talks with the ADB for other projects including a Rs 1,150-crore project for financial restructuring and institutional reforms.
He said that talks are on with the ADB for a Rs 436.80-crore project for the development of Guwahati city which includes improvement of the condition of the roads, sewerage system, water supply, etc. He hoped that the projects would be cleared soon.
Gogoi further told newsmen that the State Government is holding talks with the World Bank for a Rs 1,050-crore project for conversion of all the wooden bridges to concrete ones and a Rs 1,000-crore project for improvement of the State highways and other roads. He said that the talks are progressing well and ?we hope that formal agreements would be signed soon.?