By IANS
New Delhi : Majuli, Assam’s scenic river island and the largest of its kind in the world, will get a special grant of Rs.200 million ($5 million), with the Planning Commission approving the state’s plan outlay for the next fiscal.
The total annual plan outlay for Assam, approved Monday, is pegged at Rs.50.11 billion for 2008-09, it was announced Monday following a meeting between Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Planning Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.
Majuli is a civil sub-division of Jorhat district and is located 20 km off Jorhat town in the Brahmaputra river. The pollution-free fresh water island is spread over an area of 650 sq km and is also in the race for getting the world heritage status, officials said.
A natural and cultural heritage site with water bodies covering most of the areas, Majuli attracts thousands of migratory birds both from within and outside the country.
Planning Commission officials said Gagoi also asked the central government to explore the possibility of opening international air links between Guwahati and countries in East Asia.
The chief minister said Assam had achieved the objectives of eliminating its revenue deficit and reducing fiscal deficit to three percent of the gross state domestic product by 2005-06.
He said the state had also achieved an industrial growth rate of over 8 percent in the 10th Five-Year Plan and efforts were being made to boost the growth of small and cottage industries during the 11th Plan (2007-12).
Gogoi also urged the commission to modify the power policy so that surplus power generated through mega projects in the northeast region would be first made available to the deficit states in the region.