Chandrashekhar the Great
THE PRIME MINISTER (SHRI CHANDRA SHEKHAR) : Mr. Deputy Speaker,
Sir, I want to inform this House and the hon. Member, Shri Sontosh Mohan
Dev that only last week I had a meeting with the Governor of Assam and
also the officials of Assam and the Government of India were present.
We have decided that all those schemes that have been cleared, they
should be implemented. About the Barak University, I told that the work
should be taken up immediately. There are certain problems, Mr. Deputy
Speaker, that certain schemes were announced without going into the
details of the project. The location is not known and there is problem
and the Government cannot do everything in a moment because there
is controversy about the other University, whether it should be
established somewhere near Guwahati or Dispur or other places.
Otherwise, because of dearth of money, we are not stopping any scheme.
I want to assure the House that the President’s rule was imposed only
because the developmental work was at a stand-still in that State and
the aim and goal of that rule is that we should start developmental
activities with full vigour so that the Assam people do not feel that they
are being neglected, and that, that is the economically backward region.
That is our responsibility and duty to see that they are put at par with the
rest of the country. I know about the bridges and the road that they are
in a bad shape. It is not only because of the money, but also because of
the misutilisation of the money. You have not got less money for roads
and bridges. The impression should not go that Assam has been
discriminated in allotting money. Money has been allotted. If it is not
properly used, it will be the responsibility of my hon. friend to see that
the Government behaves in more proper manner and utilises the funds
that are allotted to them. So, I assure, Mr. Deputy Speaker, that we shall
do everything possible for the development of Assam, not only Assam
but all the economically backward regions and Assam is on our priority
list.