Ramesh asks states to demand more fund from ASIDE

Bhubaneswar, July 1 (UNI) Union Minister of state for Commerce Jairam Ramesh today urged North-east and other states to demand greater share from the Assistance to States for Infrastructure Development for Export (ASIDE).

Mr Ramesh told newsmen that the Centre allocates Rs 550 crores annually under the scheme for creation of infrastructure but many states have failed to demand more funds under the scheme.

States like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh had accounted for 70 per cent of the total fund sanctioned under the scheme, he added.

Orissa, the Union Minister said, should more aggressively demand for greater share and act like a professional to utilise the fund for infrastructure development.

He said out of Rs 550 crores, Orissa's share was only Rs 8 crore adding that even this money taken by the government had not been utilised.

Mr Ramesh said he has asked his Ministry to ask the North-eastern states besides Orissa, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh to be aggressive and prepare projects for greater share of the ASIDE fund.

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