[Assam] Jairam Ramesh quizzes NE states on funds

[Pradip Kumar Datta]

Jairam Ramesh quizzes NE states on funds
Where is the Rs 15,000 crore? 
Staff  Correspondent
SHILLONG, Oct 19: Where is the Rs 15,000 crore being allotted  annually to the north-eastern States, Union Minister of State for Commerce  Jairam Ramesh asked the States concerned today. Ramesh was speaking at the  inaugural session of the national seminar on ‘Look East Policy: Impact in North  East India’ organized by Synod College today. Ramesh could embarrass top  politicians like Meghalaya Chief Minister JD Rymbai, his predecessor DD Lapang,  Tura MP PA Sangma and others.
“Annually the Central Government spends Rs  15,000 crore for the 30 million people in the region, and if we divide the  amount, each citizen of the seven sister States should get Rs 5000,” stated the  Union Minister. “Had the Centre directly given the money to the people, poverty  would have been alleviated by now,” said Ramesh, adding, “Where has the money  gone? The people should ask those who are in the seat of power.”
Observing  that the sluggish infrastructural development in the North-east is because of  the State Governments’ incompetence and large-scale misuse of funds that  deprived the people to reap the benefits, the Union Minister of State for  Commerce said, “The people were deprived of their dues because a huge chunk of  the funds goes to politicians, their patrons, contractors, builders and the rich  influential class.” Jairam Ramesh called upon the people to use the Right to  Information Act in order to expose the malpractices of those in power.  
Touching on the Look East Policy, which he said the Government is trying to  put on the right track, Ramesh opined that the Look East Policy would only glow  if the region creates a right environment for political integration with India  and economic integration with the ASEAN countries. Stating that the Centre’s  Look East Policy is to first look at the North-east and beyond the East Asia,  the Union Minister advocated faster infrastructural development through a close  State-Centre collaboration “besides a conducive environment”. With ASEAN economy  being the fastest growing economy in the world, Ramesh foresaw the Look East  Policy as boon to the North-east, but he cautioned that unless “we talk only  about potential and do not produce surplus products for exports, the North-east  will continue to reel under its own expectations.” 
“It’s about time that  economic activities to foster growth and not violence should get the headlines  to boost the Look East Policy, and the bottlenecks and barriers for the region  should be removed to achieve the objectives,” Ramesh said.
Lamenting that  Bangladesh has been a stumbling block to the mooted integrated economy of ASEAN  countries and the reluctance of foreign investors to come to the region, the  Minister of Commerce, however, said that the Indian Government had already  sanctioned and spent Rs 100 crore for Hakyam Port in Myanmar for access to the  north-eastern States. The Union Minister also believes that the free trade  agreement with the ASEAN countries will pave the way for the North-east to sell  itself beyond the destination it has conceived. He urged the different State  Governments to play their part in fulfilling the objecting of selling the region  through sincere implementation of schemes and utilization of funds related to  development of infrastructure.
 		
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