Guwahati, Jun 28 (PTI) The Assam government on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with policy think tank Pahle India Foundation for studying new areas to develop the districts and identify new areas of revenue generation.
Extensive research is required at the district level for estimation of District Gross Domestic product which in turn would help in the preparation of the district vision document, said Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who was present when the MoU was inked.
“In our vision for economic growth, our government has taken the initiative of district-led economic development. This MoU will help in promoting the district as the fulcrum of administration and centre of growth for the state,'' Sarma said.
Additional Chief Secretary Transformation and Development Department Asish Bhutani signed the MoU on behalf of the government while for Pahle India Foundation, it was signed by its Executive Director Ravi Pokharna.
The district administration across the state will find more avenues in identifying new areas of revenue at the district level which can improve the GDP of the state, Sarma said.
The chief minister said that Assam now is one of the fastest-growing states with its Gross Domestic Product rising which is a reflection of its economic and financial growth.
In the proposed set-up, unlike the conventional way of functioning, the deputy commissioners will focus on improving the GDP of the districts and also concentrate on GST generation, raising per capita income, industrial activity, agricultural diversification, and creation of industrial land bank among others, he said.
The partnership with Pahle India Foundation “will guide the districts in mitigating the data gap in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors of the economy for compilation of district domestic product and gross state domestic product.
“The MoU will also guide the districts for estimation of gross fixed capital formation and private final consumption expenditure for the state'', Sarma said.