By Bhupen Goswami

Guwahati :In most of the times in the last 70 years of India’s independence, the respective governments at the Centre paid lackluster attention towards overall development of Northeastern region. These states were all along been considered as the consumer states largely dependent on the financial assistance of the Centre. However, ever since Narendra Modi led BJP government has come to power, the entire government attention has shifted towards the overall development of the North East. The new dispensation at the Centre has not only limited itself addressing the North East as Astalaxmi, the region has been termed as the new growth engine. These were the observations of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal while speaking at the Zonal Coordination Committee Meeting of the Ministry of Minority Welfare at a city hotel here today, Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sonowal said that after coming to power in the state, the present State government for the last 29 months has been working dedicatedly to usher in a transparent, committed system of governance based on Narendra Modi’s principle of Sabka Ka Saath Sabka Vikash for the socio-economic development of all sections of the people including religious and linguistic minorities.

He also said that his government is committed to the overall development of the people belonging to linguistic minority and char areas of the state. He also thanked the Ministry of Minority Affairs for enhancing its allotment under Multi- Sectoral Development Fund to the State during the 12 th Plan from Rs. 525.26 crore to Rs. 616.74 crore. In 2017-18 also, the Ministry has sanctioned Rs. 575.07 Crore as against the annual allocation of Rs. 144.45 crore which is an increase of 398 percent. This will go a long way in alleviating the socio-economic condition of minority population of Assam, Sonowal added. The Chief Minister also thanked Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi for releasing over Rs. 446 crore during last four years for distribution as pre metric, post metric and merit cum means scholarship to the minority students of the state. As a result, over 6,94,000 minority students received scholarships since 2014. Sonowal also said that funds flow to the State for minority scholarship has increased manifolds during the tenure of NDA government as compared to UPA. This may be evident from the fact that during 2012-13 & 2013-14, when the previous government was in power both at the Centre and the State, Assam received Rs 120.75 crore as scholarship. As against this, during the last two years i.e. when BJP led Government came to power both at the Centre and the State, funds received as scholarship for minority students has increased to Rs 446.77 crore.

He further said that since the last two years, over fifteen lakh minority families received benefits from different flagship programmes of the State and Central Government. The schemes namely dwelling houses under PMAY, free electricity under SAUBHAGYA, free gas connection under Ujjwala Yojna, Individual Household Toilet under Swachha Bharat Mission, assured job under MGNREGA scheme, monthly pension to old & widow under National Social Security Scheme, educational and medical assistance under SUHRID, Free Diagnostics Services through Chief Ministers’ Free Diagnostics Services, subsidized rice under National Food Security Scheme, self employment assistance under National Rural Livelihood Mission and Kanaklata Mahila Sabalikaran Achoni and others have spearheaded the overall development of all sections of the people of the state. Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi while speaking on the occasion said that the Centre has decided to put forward different programmes of the country on the basis of coordination and cooperation among the states. He also said that earlier, the Central Government did not prioritize the implementation of government schemes in North East. However, with Narendra Modi being in the helm of affairs at the Centre, an unprecedented thrust has been exerted for the introduction and implementation of Central Government schemes in the North East. He also said that the school drop put rate in char areas have also reduced drastically because of various schemes for the educational development of minority dominated areas in the country. Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs Ameising Lulkham gave welcome address. Arunachal Pradesh Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Nabam Rebia, Minority Affairs Minister of Jharkhand Dr. Luis Marandi, Minister for Welfare of Minorities Ranjit Dutta, Principal Secretary, Welfare of Minorities Rajesh Prasad and a host of dignitaries were present on the occasion.