The Central government will clear entire outstanding oil royalty dues of Assam — to the tune of Rs 6,320 crore — over a period of three financial years.
Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, in a statement from New Delhi, said that the decision of releasing oil royalty which Assam has been demanding for a long time would bring back the confidence of the people and revive the growth cycle. Expressing his gratitude on behalf of the people of Assam, Sonowal said, “The strong leadership of our prime minister and his keen interest to bolster development of Assam and Northeast has enabled the state to get its dues which has long been ignored by the previous Congress-led UPA government.”
Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the amount has been pending due to a case in the Supreme Court since 2008.
“While the central government will pay first instalment of Rs 948 crore in the current financial year, the second instalment of Rs 2,844 crore will be cleared by 2017-18 fiscal. Similarly, the third instalment of Rs 2,528 crore will be paid in the subsequent financial year 2018-19,” the state minister said.
This amount of Rs 6,320 crore is in addition to Rs 1,450 crore, which has already been released by the central government, Sarma added.
“The issue was pending since 2008 when there was a Congress government at the Centre as well as in Assam. The state government was fighting in the apex court over the royalty since 2008,” Sarma said.
