Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the state government would conduct a survey of all vendors, who encroached upon spaces on footpaths, roadsides, below flyovers, etc., to ascertain their whereabouts, their places of origin, the types of vending they do, their incomes, etc.
Speaking to the media, the chief minister said that the state has around one lakh such vendors. “Our survey will start in August this year. The government will take action against them based on the findings of the survey. Sixty per cent of the Tezpur litchi growers we have exported outside the country are not local people. We’ll show the findings of the survey to the indigenous youth of the state to draw a comparison in their work culture with those of people from outside Assam. People from outside the state will continue to exploit the opportunities available in the state through vending so long as the indigenous youth continue to shy away from doing such jobs.”
On the issue of the recent clash of Hindi-speaking people with a section of Assamese youth at Aryanagar in Guwahati, the Chief Minister said, “It doesn’t augur well to hold all Hindi-speaking people responsible for a clash that took place between one of them and one or two Assamese people. This principle also applies to the Assamese as well. Therefore, narratives like Bihari versus Assamese and Assamese versus Bengali are of no use. Around 25 lakh youths from Assam have been working outside the state. Who will ensure the safety of these 25 lakh Assamese youth if clashes here affect other states?
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