Frustrated over the debacle in the civic body polls, the ruling Congress in Assam has announced that it would sanction more developmental funds in areas under those municipal boards and town committees, where the Congress candidates have won. President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) Anjan Dutta said this on Friday while interacting with the newsmen at Rajiv Bhavan in Guwahati on Friday. “As announced earlier, we are going to give more funds to those municipal bodies and town committees where the Congress candidates have won,” he said.
It may be mentioned here that the Congress, which has been in power in Assam since 2001 could win only 232 wards under 17 municipal boards and town committees while the BJP has won in 340 wards under 38 municipal bodies and town committees. “Both I and the Chief Minister have promised before the civic body polls that we would allocate funds for the civic bodies if we come to power. We are going to keep our promises and we are going to give more money to those civic bodies where the Congress have won,” Dutta said.
It may be mentioned here that the Congress have announced that it would allocate to the tune of Rs1,000 crore in the next five years to 74 municipal boards and town committees across Assam if it wins the civic body elections. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who was sure to win in at least 50 of the civic bodies out of the total 74 municipal boards and town committees across the State, had also promised to give 2 per cent subsidy on loans taken by rickshaw and hand cart pullers, vegetable vendors or other small traders while taking loans from banks.