Charges of irregularity in the implementation of MsDP in Assam

By Dr. Syed Ahmed for TwoCircles.net,

Guwahati: An amount of Rs. 703.50 crore has been earmarked for implementation of the Multi-Sectoral Development Programme (MsDP) in Assam in the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-2012). The Central government has approved districts plan amounting to Rs. 693 crore and sanctioned Rs. 413.68 crore. This was announced by the State Welfare of Minorities and Development minister Dr. Nazrul Islam during the inauguration of the Regional Conference of District Collectors and State government officials of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya and Sikkim to review the progress of implementation of MsDP.

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The day-long conference, organized by the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs and Government of Assam, was held on 5 May, 2012 at the NEDFi Convention Centre in Guwahati. The conference was also attended by Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs Y.P. Singh, Director in the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs Dheeraj Kumar, Principal Secretary of Welfare of Minorities and Development Department S Mewra, Joint Secretary of Welfare of Minorities and Development Department Ahmed Hussain, and Deputy Secretary in the Welfare of Minorities and Development Department Syeda Hasina Ahmed.

The recent ferry mishap in Dhubri district killed more than hundreds of people

MsDP in Assam
Dr. Nazrul said that at the outset due to insufficient infrastructure plan formulation the rate of fund utilization under MsDP was sluggish but now it has picked up. The Assam government has already released Rs. 36 crore as the state’s share for the scheme, and it has also taken up 15 ITIs, each ITI costing around Rs. 520 lakh, he added.

Dr. Nazrul suggested the Centre to expand implementation of schemes covering all development blocks and urban areas having minority concentration of more than 25% in the 12th Five Year Plan period (2012-2017). He also asked for earmarking of funds for unemployed youths, women, widows, children and persons with disabilities, and to give more priority to innovative State specific schemes like providing ambulance, food processing facilities and cold storage facilities.

Dr. Nazrul also asked the Centre to do away with the concept of target in scholarships schemes (pre-Matric, post-Matric and merit-cum-means scholarship schemes) and suggested that these should be demand driven. The eligibility criteria of minimum percentage of marks should be reduced from 50% to 45%, he added.

A department-wise progress report presented to the Prime Minister by the Assam government on Feb. 2011 included:

An overview of MsDP in Assam:
 Govt. of India selected 13 MCDs in Assam
 Plan for 12 districts submitted and received fund.
 District Plan of Kokrajhar not submitted due to pendency of High Court matter.
 Total fund allocation up to March 2012: Rs. 703.50 Crore.
 Total Central share approved : Rs. 421.29 Crore
 Total release of Central share : Rs. 233.66 Crore
 Total release of State share : Rs. 36.55 Crore

Works completed under MsDP Scheme:

The UPA government launched MsDP in 2007-2008 in the 11th Five Year Plan period for addressing the socio-economic and educational backwardness of minority communities across the country. MsDP focuses on development in selected 90 minority concentration districts (MCDs) in the country. There are 30 MCDs in the North-Eastern States.

Charges of irregularity
There are charges of irregularity in the implementation of various schemes of the MsDP. All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has recently raised the issue of failures of MsDP during PM Manmohan Singh’s visit to the state last month. AIUDF has asked the PM to review the MsDP for the minorities claiming that not a single major project for creating employment opportunities, improvement of health and education has been sanctioned under MsDP in the State.

Char Sapori Sahitya Parishad (CSSP), a literary organization representing the minorities, has also alleged that MsDP was not properly implemented in the state. President of the Parishad, Hafiz Ahmed said that MsDP would be successful only when the State government shows its seriousness on the development of minorities and stop mis-utilization of funds under the scheme.

The Parishad has also demanded for improving communication infrastructure in MCDs of the state. The recent ferry mishap in Assam has exposed the pathetic condition of communication facilities in the minority dominated districts, said Hafiz Ahmed. In most of the minority dominated districts, boats and ferries are the principal mode of transport. These boats and ferries, which are not properly managed, put the lives of the people in great danger. The ferry tragedy at Madertari Ghat in Dhubri will be an eye-opener for the government for taking corrective measures, Hafiz Ahmed added.

List of Minority Concentrated Districts in North-Eastern States