Gogoi dares Sonowal to come up with achievements of NDA govts

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today dared Union minister and BJP state chief Sarbananda Sonowal to come out with a 'white paper' on achievements of former and present BJP governments instead of "spreading canards" against Congress dispensations.
"Sonowal cannot hoodwink the people of Assam by making false statements that the erstwhile Congress-led UPA government virtually did nothing for Assam in the past 10 years of its term and the present Congress dispensation in Assam in the past 15 years.
"People can witness the development on different fronts like roads, health and education. The state has surpassed even big states like Gujarat in some key parameters," he said here.

Gogoi said that Sonowal should come out with a 'white paper' as to what the previous BJP-led NDA government headed by former Atal Bihar Vajpayee and the present dispensation headed by Narendra Modi did for Assam during the total eight years rule.
"The Modi-led government after its total failure to usher in 'acche din' has been trying to divert people's attention by spreading false propaganda against the Congress government in Assam.
"Narendra Modi had promised that he would resolve major issues confronting Assam during his Lok Sabha campaign. But after becoming the Prime Minister, he has taken U-turns on issues like pushing back Bangladeshis, stopping rhino killings, lower Subansiri dam, granting ST status to six ethnic communities," he said.

Gogoi asked Sonowal to explain that if Modi has so much of love, affection and concern for the people of the state, then why has his government deprived the state of the Special Category Status, put under suspension the North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy, changed the funding pattern of centrally-sponsored schemes and slashing funds from the Ministry of DoNER against NLCPR and NEC.

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Gogoi said the SDRF funds released to Assam are the state's dues and the "Centre has not done any kind of favour by releasing the funds".
Depriving the state of its legitimate dues is not the right approach, he said.

Besides the Centre has kept hanging restructuring of Brahmaputra Board to North East Brahmaputra River Rejuvenation Authority.
"How come PM Modi's three-point agenda of development, development and development alone can be a reality if his government continues to deprive Assam and other northeastern states of their just and rightful dues ... The northeast part of the country needs extra incentives if it has to catch up with developed states," Gogoi said.
Modi must realise that his development mantra will be a far cry if the northeast lags behind, he said, adding, "It calls for introspection and translating rhetoric into concrete action."

The Chief Minister said though the Assam government had handed over stretches of NH 37, 37A, 52 and 53 to the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) as per the policy decision of the Centre, no construction nor any maintenance work had been taken up yet.
He claimed that the Centre had also ignored the state's proposal for establishment of Skill Development Centres in all 219 development blocks of the state at a cost of Rs 1350 crore.
He also charged it with adopting a discriminatory attitude against tribal communities while adopting a soft corner towards the Bodo Peoples Front with whom it has entered into an alliance.

Gogoi also refuted Sonowal's claim that the NRC update process started during the tenure of the present NDA government at the centre. "People know that the modalities were worked out during UPA' rule and the updation work started thereafter. Sonowal cannot hoodwink the people ... They know his game plan.