After the Centre included 12 Arunachal Pradesh tribes in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list with separate identities on Monday, the Assam Congress lashed out at the Modi government for allegedly betraying six communities in Assam. The six communities, Tai Ahom, Moran, Motok, Chutia, Tea Tribes and Koch-Rajbangshi, were assured ST tag by BJP leaders from the time of the general election in 2014.
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) media department chairperson, Bobbeeta Sharma, came down heavily on the ‘anti-people policies’ of the BJP-led governments at the Centre and the state, while addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters, Rajiv Bhawan, here on Tuesday. "The BJP government has been misleading the simple people of Assam. A prime example of this is the promise of ST status to six indigenous communities of Assam,” said Sharma.
"In every election, BJP leaders make tall promises but in reality nothing is done. In neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh the communities got the status," she alleged.
Speaking on the privatization bid of Guwahati airport, the party criticized the alleged move to change the name of the largest airport in the northeast, named after freedom fighter and first chief minister of Assam, Gopinath Bordoloi. The management of the airport is set to be handed over to the Adani Group. "It has been brought to our notice that a signboard has come up in the name of the Adani Group of companies at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport. The Congress party has been against the decision to give on lease the airport to the Adani Group for 50 years. Now we demand the government to reveal the contract to know if the government has given a clause to keep the name of the airport in the name of our leader Bharat Ratna Gopinath Bordoloi or not? Under no circumstances should the name of Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi be removed from the airport," said Sharma.
The Congress leader also alleged that the BJP government has not only dealt a heavy financial blow to Assam by suspending the Special Category Status and now the Union government has not refunded the GST that is due to the state government. "In this financial year (till May), the GST collection that Assam has to get is Rs 1,623 crore and till now this has not been refunded. In the last financial yeaof such a huge amount of revenue, Assam has been deprived of its share. How can a state run without adequate finance? The CM should have been able to impress upon and compel the PM to give whatever is due to the state," Sharma added.
She further alleged that the Prime Minister's scheme of housing for all was a big flop in Assam. "The Centre had set a target that in the 2020-21 financial year, 8,81,833 houses would be constructed but of this not even 50% was completed. This proves their slogans of development are nothing but mere slogans," said Sharma.
(With inputs from agencies)r, the amount was Rs 1,017 crore and till May this year, the amount was Rs 606 crore. It may be observed that the total GST collected by Assam was Rs 3,171 crore. Even after collection