[Assam] Dibrugarh District having the highest per capita income, a disqualification?

Tue Dec 20 13:09:43 EST 2005

>Blame it on voters' lack of knowledge of 
>legislative structure for the state >and the 
>center.

*** Is that your final assessment ? Or would you 
like to take another shot at explaining it :-)?

BTW, I too was stuck in that AGP rally. 
Fortunately I carried a dust mask and with the 
aid of a daily dose of cortisone spray, I 
survived the dust and smoke, not only of 
Guwahati, but also of the National Shame ( Hwy 
52) at Dhemaji, and the far worse environment of 
Kolkata. But it was close. I was almost brought 
down on the first day in Guwahati, and the two 
hour ride to and from Kolkata downtown and the 
airport on the 17th.

>O' Mahanta,
>Welcome back to USA. You probably survived the 
>dust and the fumes of Guwahati just like I did. 
>The AGP rally in Guwahati brought hundreds of 
>buses to the city and I was stuck in traffic 
>behind the rally buses for almost two hours. The 
>consequence of inhaling the diesel engine 
>emissions was congestion in my chest for a week. 
>I am getting over it now. Anyhow let me get to 
>your question.
>
>"Now, are they waiting for payola from the 
>masses in assam per the recently discovered 
>custom of taking money to ask questions?" -- 
>That was just a flippant remark.
>In my own estimate the Assam representatives in 
>Delhi are busy buying Delhi property and sending 
>their children to choice schools.Once they get 
>to Delhi they forget that they are there to 
>represent Assam. I realize the number of Assam 
>representatives is miniscule compared to UP or 
>Bihar but that never stopped Hem Barua in the 
>old days to get the floor and bring issues to 
>the Lok Sabha. Even now If some of the 
>representatives want to do it, they can lobby 
>and get support from other MPs to bring issues 
>to the floor. However it requires dedication to 
>public service and the courage to speak up. Here 
>in USA, non-performing state representatives 
>would not get re-elected but mysteriously it 
>keeps happening in Assam. Blame it on voters' 
>lack of knowledge of legislative structure for 
>the state and the center.
>Separation from India will not change anything though! :-)
>O'Deka
>
>
>Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net> wrote:
>
>At 5:56 AM -0800 12/19/05, Dilip/Dil Deka wrote:
>
>>"The study also criticises the state’s 
>>political leadership for not taking up the 
>>cause of Assam with the Centre. “It is indeed 
>>unfortunate that neither the leaders in power 
>>nor in the opposition have raised the issue 
>>with any vigour." -- Herein lies one of the 
>>main problems. The present Congress government 
>>is afraid to rattle Delhi, the fear being 
>>troublemakers will fall out of favor with the 
>>Central Committee. The past AGP government and 
>>the AGP leaders were busy pursuing personal 
>>gains.
>>
>
>
>Demonstration on the streets in Assam, which is 
>frequently done, is only a start. The grievances 
>and demands must reach Delhi and discussions 
>must be persuaded. Who can do it?- the MP's and 
>the Rajya Sabha members. Now, are they waiting 
>for payola from the masses in assam per the 
>recently discovered custom of taking money to 
>ask questions?
>
>Dilip
>
>
>
>
>O'Deka:
>
>Apuni eibilak kotha dekhi aahise aru xuni aahise 
>onek bosor dhori. Pise apwnar prosnotw jodi moi 
>apwnakei xwdhw, tenehole apwnar uttortw ki hobo 
>amak janidoloi
>dibone'?
>
>( You have been hearing of and seeing these 
>things for years now. So if we asked YOU the 
>question YOU ask, would you share YOUR answers 
>to it?)
>
>O'm
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>>
>>Bartta Bistar <barttabistar at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>Assam least developed state in N-E: study
><http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=2&theme=&usrsess=1&id=99761>http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=2&theme=&usrsess=1&id=99761
>Statesman News Service
>NEW DELHI, Dec. 18. — Assam is lagging behind 
>all other states in the Northeast — Arunachal 
>Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland 
>and Tripura — in human development index. What 
>is particularly unfair is the central government 
>is making a habit of taking Assam for 
>granted.... The alienation of Assam persists, 
>the study warns.
>Assam stands at a dismal position in the Human 
>Development Index (HDI), which is a holistic 
>indicator of education, health and income. Its 
>HDI rating of 0.348 places it second from the 
>bottom in the northeast, points out the study, 
>titled “Left Behind - A Case Study of As! sam”.
>The study conducted for the Centre for Policy 
>Alternatives (CPA) by Mr Mohan Guruswamy and Mr 
>Ronald Joseph Abraham, it urges the Centre to 
>increase its assistance to Assam manifold. “In 
>fact, the focus of development in the northeast 
>should be Assam-oriented. Focusing on Assam’s 
>development means focusing on over a two-third 
>of the northeast. The development of Assam 
>should be the top priority of the central 
>government in the northeast. Assam should be 
>treated on par with Jammu and Kashmir, the study 
>suggested.
>The average growth rate in India in 1980-81 to 
>2002-03 was 5.98 percent, while the same for the 
>northeast was 4.47 percent. But Assam remained 
>far behind in economic growth with a paltry 2.47 
>percent. The study says poverty is quite high in 
>the northeast. Assam had 36.09 percent people 
>below the poverty line in 1999-2000. The 
>all-India average was 26.10 percent.
>Assam, the second largest state in North-east, 
>also remained far behind others in per capita 
>electricity consumption. The North-eastern 
>states hace “Special Category States” status and 
>receive a greater share of Central assistance in 
>the form of grants, and not loans. But the 
>funding pattern was biased against Assam. “While 
>small states receive generous assistance, Assam 
>gets a much lesser proportional share of these 
>funds,” the study points out. The study also 
>criticises the state’s political leadership for 
>not taking up the cause of Assam with the 
>Centre. “It is indeed unfortunate that neither 
>the leaders in power nor in the opposition have 
>raised the issue with any vigour. The present 
>pattern of funding which is biased against Assam 
>seems to be clearly fraught with risks.” The 
>12th Finance Commission had not allocated enough 
>funds for Assam. “While Mizoram and Nagaland are 
>set to get an annual per capita grant of Rs 
>7,170 and Rs 5,872, respectively, Assam gets a 
>paltry annual per capita grant of Rs 336,” the 
>report said.
>
>
>
>!
>
>
>Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! 
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