Call for Special Attention to Riverine Islands' Development
Opposition parties in Assam on Friday urged the government to introduce a special development package for the "chars" (riverine vegetative islands), citing a severe lack of education, healthcare, and other essential facilities for residents living in these regions.
Government Rejects Need for Special Package
Despite opposition demands, the state government maintained that ongoing development schemes were sufficient, emphasizing that there was no need for an additional special package.
Resolution Highlights Disparities in Char Areas
Congress MLA Abdul Batin Khandakar initiated the resolution in the Assam Legislative Assembly, underscoring significant development gaps in char areas predominantly inhabited by Bengal-Muslim communities. Khandakar stressed the urgency of enhancing literacy rates and stimulating economic activities as immediate priorities.
He also highlighted a concerning population growth trend attributed to low literacy rates, emphasizing the need for targeted educational initiatives.
Urgent Call for New Socio-economic Survey
Abdur Rasheed Mandal, another Congress MLA, demanded an immediate socio-economic survey and a special budget allocation specifically addressing the unique challenges faced by residents of char areas. AIUDF legislator Ashraful Hussain supported Mandal's call, pointing out that the last such survey was conducted over two decades ago, in 2003.
Hussain suggested that conducting the survey would be straightforward, achievable with administrative support from the government.
Land Rights and Allowances for Government Employees Proposed
AIUDF's Rafiqul Islam highlighted the critical issue of land rights, emphasizing that merely conducting land surveys under the Basundhara 4.0 scheme was insufficient. Islam argued for immediate land allotment, asserting that resolving this issue alone could address half of the existing problems faced by char area residents.
Additionally, Islam recommended special allowances for government officials serving in education and healthcare sectors within char, remote, and hilly regions to improve service quality.
Government Cites Pending Utilisation Certificates as Barrier
Responding to the resolution, Assam's Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary acknowledged that certain central funds designated for minority welfare were stalled due to pending Utilisation Certificates (UCs) dating back to 2008.
Patowary highlighted ongoing efforts by the government to resolve the issue, resulting in the recent release of some funds after successful submission of several UCs. He assured that further submission of pending certificates would facilitate additional funding.
Regular Schemes Adequate, Claims Minister
Patowary outlined various government initiatives underway in education, healthcare, and other sectors aimed at minority welfare, including in char areas. He argued that the existing regular schemes adequately covered the developmental needs of these regions, negating the requirement for any special package.
Following the minister’s detailed explanation, Khandakar withdrew his resolution, urging the government to pay special attention to the high school dropout rates and intensify population control awareness initiatives in the char regions.