Guwahati, March 24 (TIWN) Former Maharashtra CM and incumbent PWD Minister Ashok Chavan claimed on Tuesday that Assams GSDP growth rate nosedived from 15.67 per cent to 6.3 per cent in five years of BJP rule in the state.

The Congress leader said that Assam's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) growth rate, which was 15.67 per cent in 2015-16 under the Congress rile, the second highest in the country then, dropped to 6.3 per cent in 2019-20 under the BJP regime, pushing the state back to the 20th position. 

"In order to bring Assam back on the growth path, the Congress is committed to boost the industry and trade landscape in the state," he said.  "The BJP government in Assam had promised 25 lakh jobs five years ago, but it provided only 80,000 jobs at a strike rate of only 3 per cent. One of the Congress' ‘five guarantees' is to provide five lakh government jobs in a year besides creating 25 lakh private job opportunities," Chavan told the media. 

He said that there are over 60,000 posts lying vacant in more than 35 departments of the state government, while Assam faces severe shortage of resources in multiple departments with respect to the scale of operations.  According to the Congress leader, Assam has a shortage of 40,000 health workers, followed by 38,000 school teachers, 15,000 police personnel, 15,000 doctors and 12,000 college teachers.  Chavan said the Congress candidates in the poll-bound state are holding in-person question and answer sessions in their constituencies with those who wish to gather more information and have their queries addressed as to how the party aims to provide five lakh government jobs.