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Nagaon, Sept. 20: Two hill district autonomous councils of Assam recently moved New Delhi demanding more funds under hills sub-plan for development.
The two councils are Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao.
The team, led by Karbi Anglong District Autonomous Council chief executive member Jayram Engleng, met Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia in Delhi on Monday.
The team also submitted a memorandum in support of the demand of the two hill districts.
The memorandum said the annual funds from the Planning Commission to the two councils under Dispur’s hills area development fund was too little to meet the needs of the councils.
“If a study of population and geographical area is done then discrepancy in government’s fund distribution system would be very evident. Two neighbouring states — Mizoram and Sikkim — have almost same or less geographical area and population compared to the two hill districts. Interestingly, they are getting more money than us,” the memorandum said.
According to a hills area development department source, during the 2012-2013 financial year, the Karbi Anglong autonomous council will receive Rs 271 crore under hills sub-plan while Dima Hasao district will get Rs 113 crore.
“Mizoram will receive Rs 2,300 crore and Sikkim will get Rs 1,400 crore during the same period,” the source said.
“This is a long pending demand of the two autonomous councils. The money which we receive is not sufficient to meet all the development activities in the districts. We want New Delhi and Dispur’s consideration on the funds allocation so that the two hill districts could go for more development. Sikkim’s population is 5,40,000 while Karbi Anglong’s is almost 8 lakh,”Engleng said.
According to him, the Planning Commission deputy chairman assured the team of considering the matter after discussing it with the state government.
“We have asked the government machinery to make the allocation system need-base so that councils could do the right work at the right time. That might bring transparency to the work and make the councils concentrate more on major issues,” said Dima Hasao District Autonomous Council chief executive member Debojeet Thaosen.
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