Upbeat Gogoi’s new wish list

SAMUDRA GUPTA KASHYAP

GUWAHATI, JANUARY 7: Jubilant over the overwhelming response the ruling Congress party received in the just-concluded panchayat elections in Assam, state Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has vowed to transform the economy of the state that is currently in a bad shape.

Addressing partymen at the end of a victory rally here today, Gogoi said: ‘‘The people of rural Assam have shown their faith in the party three times in a row in the past seven months. It is now time for our government to draw up plans to rapid development of the state.’’

The Congress won three successive elections, including the state Assembly polls in May, the two hill district council elections in November and the now the panchayat elections.

Gogoi said he is now expecting the Centre to release Rs 400 crore that has been pending since the state did not fulfil the Constitutional obligations by holding the Panchayat polls. ‘‘We have submitted several schemes for World Bank funding. The recommendations of the committee for fiscal reforms will also be implemented soon. We want to raise the growth rate of the state from the existing 2.96 per cent in the Ninth Plan period to eight per cent in the Tenth Plan period,’’ a beaming Gogoi said.

‘‘Though the state government had sought about Rs 17,000 crore for the Ninth Plan, it received only about Rs 9,000 crore. The previous government could hardly spend Rs 5,600 crore, thus bringing a bad name to the state,’’ he added.

Despite the overwhelming success of his party in the panchayat elections, Gogoi’s worries are far from over. In fact, he is yet to ensure timely payment of salary to the state government employees.

The state employees today staged a day-long demonstration demanding immediate release of salary for December apart from the arrears.